


Brash and Bold

by Briana_Dubs



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Asgard (Marvel), Asgardian Tony Stark, FrostIron - Freeform, I don't know about military stuff beyond all the movies hollywood keeps making, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Jotunn | Frost Giant, King Loki (Marvel), King of Jotunnheim Loki, Laufey's death not shown, Loki is raised as the prince of Jotunnheim and becomes king after Laufey's death, M/M, Odin never kidnaps Loki, Rightful ruler of Jotunnheim, Sworn enemies, Thor and Loki are not brothers in this one, fake concubine, fake concubine au, poor representation of how a military works, weapons-maker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23175163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Briana_Dubs/pseuds/Briana_Dubs
Summary: “Something funny, Asgardian?” He called through the barred hole in the door. When the man just lifted his head and looked at him, Loki assumed his point had been made. “Not so brash and bold now when faced with the ruler of Jotunnheim, I see.”The man scoffed- again. Loki’s smile fell and he scowled at the prisoner. “Not at all,” the Aesir said, “I’m just amazed that such an incredibly stupid suggestion came from such an educated mouth.”
Relationships: Loki & Tony Stark, Loki/Tony Stark, eventual Loki/Tony Stark - Relationship
Comments: 190
Kudos: 312





	1. Mistakes of your Predecessor

**Author's Note:**

> This is directly based off a prompt submitted to the frost-iron blog on tumblr.  
> """ King Loki is trying to get his army ready for war against Asgard and some nobody mcSh*tstain tells him all the things wrong with his plan. Tony, Asgardian in this, has designed the enemy weapons and knows where Loki will mess up. But Loki cant be consulting the enemy, SO... fake concubine. Tony in pretty clothes at meetings, giving tips in secret when they're alone."""
> 
> King Loki has an unruly prisoner, but a smart one.

It had been a passing comment. King Loki was walking through the dungeons with one of his generals, discussing the upcoming battle with Odin and the Aesir army, when it happened. He had suggested an attack to render a large amount of the Aesir warriors gravely injured to get Odin to back down and a loud scoff met his ears.

The Jotunn king stopped and inclined his head, curious almost immediately. “Sire?” Loki dismissed the nobleman with a small wave and approached the cell the noise came from.

Inside, a single prisoner captured from Asgard. A suspected spy, but they had not gotten any answers out of the man when he was interrogated. Compared to the king in lush furs standing just outside his cell, the man was certainly a pitiful sight. All dusty, dirty, rumpled clothes and scruffy, messy hair. Loki couldn’t help but smirk at the sight of him. A far cry from the golden realm where he hailed.

“Something funny, Asgardian?” He called through the barred hole in the door. When the man just lifted his head and looked at him, Loki assumed his point had been made. “Not so brash and bold now when faced with the ruler of Jotunnheim, I see.”

The man scoffed- again. Loki’s smile fell and he scowled at the prisoner. “Not at all,” the Aesir said, “I’m just amazed that such an incredibly stupid suggestion came from such an educated mouth.”

At the insult, part of Loki was ready to surge forward and slice the tongue from the disgusting creature’s maw. He held back, however, seidr crackling dangerously in the air around him. Steeling himself with a deep intake of breath, he spoke. “And why is that?”

“Well,” the man pushed himself to his feet. Loki of course took note of how his knees quaked with the effort. The cold of Jotunnheim likely doing his body no favors. Smiling, the Aesir walked toward the door separating him from the king. “You’re ruler of this entire planet. Born the crown prince. A scholar, famous through the nine realms for having a wit as sharp as your tongue.” He had stopped just a few steps before the doorway, an irritating smirk on his bearded face. “But somehow, you haven’t learned from all the mistakes your predecessor made before you.”

Loki snarled at that, and actually _did_ surge forward. “You _dare_ speak ill of my father!?” His seidr flooded into the cell, shifting and crackling around the prisoner. The man looked mildly frightened by the magic moving and glowing before his eyes and behind his back, but he did not step back.

“Not at all,” the man said once again. “Laufey was a formidable opponent for many, many years. But he made the same mistake you’re about to make.”

“And what mistake is that, _pest_?”

The man let out a singular laugh. “You both think Odin cares about his warriors. I can tell you from experience- he does not.”

“Oh can you?” Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“If you want him to cease his endless attacks you need to target the one thing he truly cares about. Not himself, no- he would give his own life gladly so that he could die a warrior’s death and ascend to _Valhalla_ ,” the man raised his shivering arms and wiggled his fingers as he said that. “You have to hit him where it hurts.” He ignored the seidr still rolling through the air around him and took one step closer. “You have to hit his son. Prince Thor,” he grinned, toothy, skin stretching around his mouth. “The golden son. The _only_ thing that makes Odin do anything he doesn’t want. Well,” the man wavered for a moment, smile falling, “Maybe Queen Frigga, but she doesn’t really go to the battles, so your only real option is Thor.”

Loki barked out a laugh. He didn’t even dignify the Aesir with a response, he simply turned on his heel and left. What sort of ruler would throw the lives of his trained soldiers away so easily? And to display such open favoritism? Foolish. And what sort of man would turn his back on his own people so quickly as to tell his sworn enemy their weakness? The Asgardian wretch clearly aimed to deceive him. Loki, however, vowed he would not be fooled. Come Odin’s attack, he would be ready.

* * *

Seated upon the throne, Loki scowled to himself.

As expected, Odin had attacked four days ago. Claiming to be fighting to keep the peace in the nine realms, the old bastard had mowed down over a dozen of Loki’s people with the spear he had been gifted by his father.

All his attempts at attacking the enemy soldiers had seemed to do nothing to lessen Odin’s rage. He continued firing the concentrated seidr through his ancient weapon. Seeing his people- Jotunns he knew by name- falling at the hands of the tyrant, Loki found his gaze drifting to a single glint of red among the sea of golden soldiers. The words of the prisoner danced through his head as he observed Prince Thor. Using his enchanted hammer, the prince seemed just as bloodthirsty as his father. Breaking bones and skulls without a care in the world. Taking after his father so well…

He hated himself now, but Loki had done exactly what the prisoner said to do. He struck for Thor.

Ice encased the prince’s arms and legs and one of Loki’s men was able to slash him across the chest. The golden prince howled with pain and rage and Odin had retreated almost immediately.

His people had been spared any more bloodshed. The number of wounded and dead was much lower than he knew it could have been.

And it _infuriated_ him.

How could a filthy Asgardian spy think of a better strategy than _him_? He had spent decades learning tactics from his father and from scholars throughout the realms. Bor had been a much more noble opponent. Why would his son not behave the same way? Why would he hold such little value for the lives of his men?

Loki continued to hate himself as he stewed over what happened. He knew what he had to do, but knowing did not make him hate it less.

He had to talk to that prisoner again.

He had to find out just how much he knew about Odin’s methods and how he knew of them in the first place.

* * *

The filthy man absolutely had to have been expecting him.

He was lounging on the cot in the cell, looking all too pleased with himself.

“Stop smirking, filth,” Loki hissed at him, throwing the door to his cell open with little more than a thought. The Aesir lifted himself up as Loki stalked into the space. Scowling down at him, he asked, “How did you know?”

The man was still smirking. “Anyone from Asgard with half a brain could see that the only thing Odin cares about is his son.” He looked up at Loki, playing with a bundle of straw between his fingers. “It doesn’t take a genius to understand.”

Huffing, Loki crossed his arms across his chest. Bare, save for the gold and jewels hanging around his neck, it expanded with the deep breaths he was taking to calm himself. If he did not, he was likely to maim this Aesir trash. “Am I to assume you consider yourself a genius, then?”

“Ehh, I mean… Maybe not _genius_ but…”

“Enough,” Loki ordered, waving his hand and using seidr to silence the man. “Just answer my question or I will punish you.”

Once the man’s mouth was his own to use, he let out a puff of air, visible in the cold. “I used to build weapons for the Allfather, all right?” He scowled up at Loki. “Worked in very close quarters and got to know the royal family dynamic.”

“A blacksmith,” Loki frowned. He had hoped the man was a spy. At least a spy would have useful information for him. What could he gain from a simple smith?

“Weapons-maker,” the man said, enunciating each syllable. “I didn’t work much in the forges.”

It was enough for Loki. Enough to satisfy the burning hate and curiosity inside him. An artist, designing tools for Odin to use to slaughter innocents. This man had spent enough time around the old fool to learn his patterns and behaviors. He began to turn and leave, when the man spoke again.

“He’s going to come back,” he called, “And next time he’ll force Thor to stay on Asgard.”

These words in mind, Loki left the man alone in his cell and walked away.


	2. For the good of his People

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, but hey- it's still warming up.

Loki was ready to throttle something.

His fists clenched as he stomped toward the dungeons and his seidr snapped and popped all around him.

When he stopped in front of a now much too familiar cell, the crystalline lights outside went out with the force of his energy. He had to re-ignite them using his magic in order to see the Aesir inside.

“Was I right?” he asked, grinning at the fuming king standing outside.

Shoving the door open, Loki snarled at him. “He killed thirty two of my people, _filth._ Don’t you _dare_ mock their deaths with your arrogance.” Once he was stopped just before the small man on his cot, Loki spat, “I will cut your tongue for one more insult. Do. Not. Test Me.”

The man put his hands up quickly, in a very obvious placating gesture. Fear evident on his face. “Okay, all right. I apologize.” He had bowed his head as he was scolded. Loki could only hope the pest had learned a lesson.

“I had to drive the old crone back myself,” Loki hissed, “I have little energy left to deal with you and your mouth.”

“I said I was sorry,” the man said, looking up at him now. “I didn’t realize you just came from the battle- you don’t even have any blood on you.” He motioned toward Loki’s body as he spoke, trying to excuse his behavior.

“What else do you know of Odin’s armies?”

The man looked a little startled by the question. “I… you’re not gonna torture me for information? You’re just going to ask and hope I tell the truth…?”

Loki, of course, had thought about it. “While I would _deeply_ enjoy that,” Loki said, sighing a little bit as he thought of all the punishments he would impart upon Odin, specifically. “You have not lied to me as yet,” Loki continued, “And you seem keen to turn your back on your own people.” He grinned at the look on the man’s face when he said that. “I’d rather take advantage of my good fortune.”

“I’m not turning my back on them!” The Aesir huffed at him.

“Oh, really?” Loki raised a brow, smirking still.

The man huffed again and lowered his head, scowling at the floor and clearly mulling over something in his head. Trying to decide how much information to share, most likely.

Rolling his wrist, waving his hand lightly, Loki said, “Betray your people, or don’t- what moral decision you reach means very little to me in the face of war.”

Eventually, the man let out a sigh. He raised his head again, a dejected look upon his face. “I think Odin is trying to prepare Thor for the crown.”

Loki very nearly balked at that. He was sure surprise was written across his face, but it did not concern him when the only one to see it was a prisoner at his mercy. “Thor hardly seems ready for such a burden,” he said softly.

“When you became King you were younger than he is now,” the man commented. “Obviously out of necessity, there, but still.” Ah, yes, a subtle little reminder that his father had been murdered by Odin before Loki had even completed the rites of adulthood. He scowled down as the man continued. The Aesir rubbed his hands over his knees. “I think Odin is getting tired… He wants someone else to take the burden off his shoulders… He’s trying to prepare Thor for the wars he may face.”

“The wars he will cause,” Loki corrected, frowning. The man didn’t argue him, but Loki continued anyway. “I have seen the way Thor carries himself. I have observed his behavior with royals and nobles of other realms… He is a fool.”

The man laughed a little at that. He didn’t look happy, but he still laughed. “We’ve gotten off topic,” Loki said, waving his hand to dismiss the conversation. “Tell me all you know of Odin and his plans for battle.”

“Well, uh,” the man rubbed the back of his neck, “It’ll take a while. It’s not like I can just spew everything out in one quick go.”

Loki scowled at him. Stalling? He had no time for that. “I cannot make time to come visit you in these cells every day. I am a king. I have duties aside from Odin’s bloodthirsty self. Tell me what you know.”

“I can’t!” The man huffed. “Everything depends on what he does next and what happened at the battle you just had! I can’t see the future, I can only compare to what he’s done before!”

“I tire of your excuses,” Loki snapped at him. “I will return in four hours’ time. If you do not have information for me, I will be forced to act.”

* * *

Laying the dead to rest had never been a pleasant experience for Loki. As long as he could remember there had been funerals, burials, burnings, and scatterings for their dead on a terribly regular basis. Odin had stripped their people of the source of their power ages ago and it left them weak and vulnerable. The elderly often had not enough seidr to sustain themselves for long without adequate food, and their families were already strained enough as it was. The weakest of their population often was left to suffer. Under his father’s reign, many of their elders had been lost to illness and fever.

Since taking the throne, Loki had done his best to improve their lives. He knew he had been lucky to have been born with such potent magic. His father often told him that he hadn’t seen a mage as powerful since he himself was young. From as far back as he could remember, he had been tutored and taught to harness and strengthen his gift. Mages from Jotunnheim taught him until they had nothing left to teach. He moved on to reading ancient texts. And when even the books had nothing more to teach him, Loki began traveling to other realms to learn. (Never to Asgard, though. He was no fool. A Jotunn on Asgard meant death. He would not throw his life away so quickly.)

Loki had widened the underground networks nearly single handedly. Their gardens had expanded and the breeding grounds for their fish were able to hold more livestock because of his efforts. He had designed and built lights out of crystals found deep in the mines and had used his power to heal old injuries that had plagued the old warriors for years. Things had been slowly improving, even without the Casket of Winters.

At least, they had been. Until Odin took notice of their improvements and decided to act upon them.

The strain of loss was adding to the strain they already faced on a daily basis. His people had been through so much already. He knew they couldn’t take much more.

As much as Loki hated it- he needed the information that Asgardian weapons maker had to offer. He needed any advantage he could get.

Odin had them beat in numbers and in power. They needed something in order to survive.

During the burial ceremonies, Loki had been trying to think of ways to get information from the Asgardian in easier ways. He didn’t want to say it, but he would need the weapon’s maker as a consultant of sorts. None of his men knew the ins and outs of Asgard’s military like he would. But he knew none of his own warriors would want to listen to what the Aesir had to say. If he weren’t the king, he would most likely be considered a traitor just for even _suggesting_ to work with the man.

For the good of his people, though?

He would do anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe out there, everybody!  
> Those of you stuck at home, I hope you're all doing well and have enough money and food to last through the coronavirus mess.


	3. Anything to Explain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still have to work during this coronavirus mess. Where I work is considered 'essential' for homeowners.
> 
> I've been carrying hand sanitizer with me every time I go in.

Loki had not gone back to the cell. He did not have a solution for his dilemma. He could not go back to that cell with empty threats and no plan. Instead, he had been in his personal library. Reading through the history of Jotunnheim, hoping that in the past there had been a situation like this. Where their people had to work with an unlikely ally.

As of three hours reading- no luck.

There were plenty of times Jotunnheim had tried getting help from the Elves and from the Dwarves, of course, but they had been their allies in the past. After Asgard became allies with the Elves, however, the help from them completely dropped off. It had been before even Loki was born. He could not ever remember a time when the Elves responded to their pleas for help. Odin had turned their old friends against them. Convinced the people of Alfheim that they were monsters. And the Dwarves had such struggles with fertility that their population was too small to be of any help. Any aid they could have spared was better spent trying to save their own dying population.

It seemed as though Jotunnheim was alone.

This Aesir, sitting trapped in their dungeons, was the only ally they’d had in centuries. And even he was an uncertain ally. If Loki wasn’t careful and wasn’t smart, he could lose this chance.

There was plenty in the books of prisoners being forced into slave labor, mainly stories of Jotunns and half-Jotunns being forced into labor by the Aesir, but it was… an idea. He could always make the man into a slave if he really needed to. Though, he would actually have to be seen performing tasks, and if the man grew too resentful at being forced to work…

Loki groaned, running his fingers through his hair. No, that wouldn’t work. Too much risk that the man would turn and betray their deal. If he even succeeded in garnering a deal with him.

Although, he supposed, threatening to kill him if he disobeyed might secure a “yes” from the Asgardian…

But threats of execution felt like sinking to Odin’s level. Loki had always hoped he would win by being better than the old tyrant.

Closing another book on the history of their battles and conquests and his grand-father’s attempts to take Midgard from Asgard’s favor, Loki let out another groan. Absently, he felt the pangs of hunger and remembered he hadn’t eaten yet- but he had more pressing matters.

Loki kept reading through books and tomes and scrolls into the night. By the time he realized it was morning, it was too late to even pretend to go to sleep. With a sigh, he heaved himself up and began preparing for the day. He had meetings and hearings to attend to, and afterward he had planned a lesson with some of the children. A few of the young ones had been showing signs of magical potential. If he could begin them early, he could have the next generation of Jotunnheim’s mages!

Cleaning off his desk, moving his books back to their rightful places, he paused, looking at a recorded illustration of the royal family lineage.

* * *

When the man next saw him, Loki watched an irritating smirk form on his face before it faded. He seemed to remember the last time and bowed his head a little bit.

“I thought you forgot about me,” the man said quietly. “You said you’d be--”

Loki cut him off, tossing a bundle of clothing at him. “Put these on.” The man jumped a little bit as the clothes smacked into his chest. He looked back up at Loki once they were in his hands, clearly confused. Loki rolled his eyes at him. “It is either you put the clothes on and come with me, or you don’t and you remain in this cell. Your choice.”

“We-wa- but, but you,” the man stammered, rifling through the fabric, “You haven’t even told me what’s going on!”

“I don’t believe I’m under any obligation to inform you,” Loki said, looking at his nails, absently picking at the cuticle. “And besides, you’re a genius, aren’t you? Figure it out.” He smirked as he said that, and his smile grew when he saw how flustered it made the Aesir. His face taking a dark red hue, almost rivaling the shade of Loki’s own eyes.

After a moment more of stammering and spluttering, the man calmed down enough to begin separating out the articles of clothing. He lifted a few of them up, frowning. “This doesn’t really look like it’s going to keep me warm,” he mumbled, “I mean, I can see right through it.”

Oh. Loki had forgotten about that. It took him a moment, but he called forth a collar from his chambers. The man looked instantly dubious.

“You’re not seriously going to collar me like a dog…”

Loki frowned at him. “I’m placing an enchantment on it, _pest_.” His seidr illuminated the whole room in a soft green glow as he worked. He was too focused on his spell to bother looking at the Aesir. He spoke as he worked. “The likelihood of you accidentally removing a pendant or fetter is much higher than you going through all the effort of un-latching a collar.” He took a moment to send the man another smirk. “Besides, this is fitting, don’t you think? The Aesir seem to view my people as beasts in need of leashing. How ironic for you that instead you will be collared by a Jotunn.”

He could see that bothered the man, but his discomfort with the idea just made Loki’s smile grow. If only his father were alive to see this. He’d probably celebrate for a week.

Once he finished his enchantment, Loki turned to properly face the prisoner. The man was blinking up at him. Loki approached him, extending the collar forward. He lowered himself ever so slightly, smiling when he heard the Asgardian gasp. Carefully, he reached toward the man’s neck, lining the collar up. His hair fell forward, past his shoulders and the furs he always wore as he bent just a bit more to angle his arms behind the man’s head. He made certain to have as little chance for skin contact as he slipped the latch into place. Stepping back, he used a quick flicker of energy to adjust the size of the collar. It shrunk down until it was perfectly fitted to the man’s neck. He gasped again, hands flinching in an obvious instinctual reaction to try and grab the collar.

His hands froze halfway up, however, and the man’s mouth hung open. Slowly, he lifted one hand to touch the metal band. Loki watched him run the pads of his fingers over it, back and forth, and waited.

“I… I don’t feel the cold anymore,” the man breathed. His voice was hardly more than a whisper, but deafening in the quiet of the dungeons. “It feels…” He let out a disbelieving laugh. “It feels like a normal spring day on Asgard in here.” After a moment of staring at nothing and just rubbing the metal of the collar, the man looked at Loki. “You were able to do that? So quickly?”

Loki felt ruffled with pride. He couldn’t help but smile smugly at the Aesir. “I have been studying under the greatest mages in the nine realms my whole life,” he said, waving his hand, trying to sound flippant or dismissive and probably failing. “Is your queen not a witch, herself?”

“Oh,” the man blinked again, “She-she is, it’s just… Normally the only people who get to see her using her magic are her students…”

That sounded a waste, in Loki’s opinion. He made certain to show his seidr to his people often. Let them know and see what their king could do. All the better if the children begin to show promise of magic. They would have some point of reference in their own abilities and would know not to be frightened.

Coming back to himself, Loki motioned his hand and ordered, “Put the clothes on.”

“Oh, yeah.” The man began to undress without argument.

As he changed, Loki shared his plan with him. “You will wear these and any other outfits given to you by myself or the palace workers,” he said, “And you will do so without argument, am I understood?”

The man nodded, tripping a little as he pulled on the shimmering, translucent trousers Loki had given him.

“You are to be my personal courtesan.”

Now the man fully tripped. He fell forward, landing on his chest and arm upon the floor. As soon as he landed and the wind had been knocked out of him, he snapped his head up. “ _Your courtesan!?_ ” He shrieked. “You mean- you- like a _concubine_!?”

“Yes, the words mean roughly the same thing,” Loki said, folding his arms.

The man continued to gape up at him, mouth open wide. “I’m- I’m just- I’m—I’m supposed to be your personal _whore!? That’s_ how you plan to- to- to.” He shook his head a few times. “You think I’d tell you anything when you’re _forcing_ me to have _sex_ with you!?!”

Loki scoffed, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “Ugh, no!” He quickly dismissed his horrifying idea. “Laufey, _no_ ,” he gagged. “It would be false, you absolute buffoon.” He shuddered at the thought. “I’d rather cut out my own eyes than bed you.”

Scowling, the man spat, “Hey, you’re no beautiful goddess yourself.”

Loki chose to ignore that comment. “The falsehood will give me an excuse to have you with me at all times. I can take you to war meetings and none will even question it.” He could see understanding beginning to bloom in the man’s face. “With you as my personal pet, I can reasonably bring you anywhere with the excuse of expected pleasure.”

“I’m not going to pretend to suck your dick and actually be telling you what I think of your war plan,” the man huffed. “I’m not _that_ good an actor.”

“At the most, I would expect you would have to be seated upon my lap,” Loki told him, still uncomfortable with the picture he painted. “Again, I take no true pleasure in any of this. I find you and your pale 'tanned leather' complexion very unappealing.”

The man blinked at that a few times before pushing himself up and looking at the clothes he was putting on. “Is that why you were putting me in blue and green tones? A way to hide my heritage?”

“Mainly to make it less painful to look at you,” Loki said, grinning when the man squawked at that. “Of course, you have to wear my color if you are going to feasibly appear to be mine.”

The man looked himself over a few times, then looked up at Loki. It took him a second before he asked, “The green?” Loki nodded once. Now the man seemed perplexed. “Why is green your color?”

Loki rolled his eyes. “I see no reason to explain anything to you. Get dressed.” He heard the man huff, but he finished pulling the shimmering trousers on and then yanked the prison shirt off over his head. His chest immediately caught Loki’s eye.

“A Muspelheim shrapnel wound?” He visibly saw the man tense, and he grabbed the shirt he had just dropped to cover himself back up. It was too late, though. Loki had seen enough of those wounds to know exactly what made that scar in the center of the man’s chest. Though, when he saw them, they were usually on the corpses of his people. A wound from a Fire Giant typically meant immediate death for a Frost Giant. Jotunns who did survive an injury like that often did not survive for very long.

“Ah,” Loki felt half like smiling and half like spitting at the man’s feet. “I see now, this is a revenge play for you.” The man scowled at him. “Odin lead you into a battle, left you mortally wounded, and now that you’ve survived you seek to make him suffer the way you have suffered.”

The man had turned his back on him as he spoke. He still clutched the shirt to his chest, head hanging low, as he mumbled out, “I have no reason to explain anything to you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Loki right?  
> Is Loki wrong?  
> Why is Tony trying to help the Jotunns?
> 
> Will Tony EVER tell Loki his name????


	4. Introducing the new Courtesan

Entering the meeting room with the Asgardian in tow had earned Loki quite a few shocked stares and mouths hanging open. Even noblemen raised to be polite and proper couldn’t hold back their shock at the sight. He had lashed a chain to the collar around the man’s neck, and was casually tugging him along. Once he reached the table and sat himself down, he tugged hard on the chain and ordered, “Kneel.” The man looked unhappy, shifting for a moment. Annoyed, and bothered that he wasn’t playing along, Loki _yanked_ him until he dropped to his hands and knees. He heard the man cough, and said, “Good boy. That wasn’t so hard.”

A soft clearing of someone’s throat brought Loki’s attention back to the moment. “Um… Sire…?”

“Ah, yes, Xartok- what is it?” Loki painted the picture of nonchalance. Leaning back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, shoulders loose and relaxed. He was sure it pissed off the Aesir kneeling on the hard floor.

“I… If I may,” Xartok carefully extended a hand, pointing vaguely at the man on the floor. “What, um… what is that?”

Now Loki grinned. Not trying to pretend he didn’t get a thrill out of this, he turned to regard the Aesir. “ _That_ ,” Loki said, smile full of teeth, “Is my new _pet._ ”

“Pet?” Someone repeated.

Loki took a second longer just to watch the way the Aesir scowled up at him. When he raised his head back up, he asked, “Is it not so unusual for a member of the royal family to take a courtesan? My great grandmother had one of her own, did she not?”

“I- well, yes, but…”

“ _But?”_

“But it’s just so… … pink…”

Loki bellowed out a laugh at the comment. Taking another moment to look down at his new toy, Loki said, “Mm, yes, I suppose so. But it is rather exotic, isn’t it?”

“It’s certainly… different,” Xartok said, looking dubious and uncomfortable. Loki was having far too much fun with this.

“It is _nice_ , isn’t it,” Loki sighed, smile full of malice now, “To be able to humiliate Asgard. Just a little bit. Just enough to satisfy that… urge inside- The rage blistering through your veins when you think of all the Jotunns Odin and his filth treated this way?” He used the foot dangling over his thigh to tap the Aesir’s chin a few times until he raised his head and looked up at him. Loki let out a happy noise, sneering at the man. “Just to be able to look down on this face and know it would make Odin’s blood _boil_ if he were here to witness it.”

And _that_ did the trick. All of his noblemen were chuckling under their breath or murmuring their agreement. He knew he would have no argument from this point on.

“Will you show him to the public?” One asked, grinning from ear to pointed ear, “Put on a little show and let them have their fun?”

“Hmm, a public mud-slinging?” Loki pondered the idea with a smile. “Mm, as much as the idea appeals to me, I think I’d rather keep this little treat to myself a while longer.” He stole a quick glance at the Aesir, and could see discomfort all over his face. But, no matter. He had plans to discuss.

“Now, on to business,” Loki said, leaning forward. “What have you discussed?”

“Ah, well,” Xartok actually pulled forward a scroll with notes and illustrations on it. Loki felt the Aesir subtly shifting himself to see it better. “We gathered some of the weapons from the enemy’s corpses and it seems they only have basic runes inscribed or basic enchantments placed upon them.” Loki huffed. He had expected as much. “So it seems they rely almost solely on their numbers…”

Another Jotunn, named Firmir, piped up then. “We’ve also been trying to plan our defense should they attack again,” she pointed to one part of the parchment that had a series of long, straight lines across it. “The last two times they’ve attacked, their forces have been in a series of lines like this. They have not strayed from this pattern. We thought, perhaps, if we station small groups in these strategic locations,” she then pointed at the illustrations of familiar hills on their planet. “We think it will give us the element of surprise.”

“That’s not gonna work.” In an instant, everyone’s attention was on the man kneeling by Loki’s side. Horror slapped across all of their faces. “Odin has a--”

With a snap of Loki’s fingers, a gag formed in the Aesir’s mouth. He gagged for a second, looking startled, before looking up at Loki. Snarling a little bit, Loki spat out, “You were not given permission to speak, _pet_.” He saw the angry look on the man’s face, but couldn’t concern himself with it.

Turning his attention back to his party, Loki sighed. “Apologies,” he said, “You know how they are… Give me a little time, I’m certain I can train him better.”

The others all nodded their heads and eventually the discussion picked back up. Every now and then Loki would see his Aesir adjusting or moving, either to see what was being discussed better or to try and get a little more comfortable on the floor. He could tell there were points where he wanted to say something or offer an opinion, but the gag effectively kept him silent. He couldn’t deny the bit of satisfaction that gave him.

Once the meeting was over- no decision had been reached. They all agreed to reconvene in two days’ time so that Loki could tend to his other duties the next day. As he stood up, Loki said his farewells to all his officials and waited for the Aesir to stand back up. It was clear that his legs felt stiff after having been forced to kneel for so long. It took him pushing up off of the meeting table to stand back up properly.

Loki lead the man with him back to his own chambers. He didn’t have to pull on the chain at all- just simply held it in his hand while they walked. Pushing open the doors, he let his ‘guest’ into the rooms first. Once the door closed, he let the chain fall and exhaled loudly. Looking up, he smirked a little bit when he saw that the man was looking around the room.

“Not quite the same as your rooms in Asgard, I’m sure?” He grinned as he spoke. “A bit less _golden_ I would assume.” The man turned to him with an irritated look in his eye. He stood there for a second before jerking his finger harshly toward the gag still in his mouth. “Ah, yes.” He stepped forward and un-hooked it from around his head.

Licking his lips and rotating his jaw a bit, the man huffed at him. “Was the gag really necessary?”

“You spoke out of turn.”

“I thought the point of all this was for me to tell you what you’re doing wrong!” He threw his arms out as he shouted. “I can’t exactly do that if you’ve got a fucking ball gag in my mouth!” He crossed his arms in front of himself, grumbling and pouting.

Ignoring the tantrum the man was throwing, Loki made his way over to his desk and set the gag down. A knock sounded on his doors and one of the chefs poked their head in. “Shall I bring your meal to your rooms, sire?” they asked, glancing for a moment at the Asgardian.

Loki smiled at them. “Thank you, Alfi. Please bring enough for my courtesan as well.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once the two of them were alone, Loki returned to what he had been doing before. Organizing his desk once again. Putting things back where they belonged and setting out new things to read. The voice breaking the quiet would have startled him if he hadn’t been expecting it.

“Can’t you just do that with your seidr?” The man asked, sounding closer to him than he had been before.

Loki cast a quick glance over his shoulder at him. “ _I can_ ,” he answered, “But it would be a pointless show and a waste of energy to do so.”

“So you just use it when you want to make me look bad in front of your friends.”

Now Loki sighed. “You are _Asgardian_ ,” he said, exasperated. “You are not our kind. Should you have insulted my men any further than you did, they would have had every reason to hurt you. Maim you, even.” He leveled the man with a look. “Perhaps where you come from it’s normal to laugh when a prisoner talks back, but it is very rare for us to even _have_ prisoners, let alone give them this much freedom.”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, I was the only one in those dungeons, wasn’t I?”

“Most of the time the dungeons are used to house rowdy Jotunns who need a chance to calm down… Or a chance to sleep off their liquor. The only people coming to our planet that would be staying in those cells are _your kind_.” Loki frowned at the man- hoping maybe he would understand that his people had every reason not to trust him. Every reason to hate him, really. The only enemies they had anymore were the Aesir.

When Alfi came back with the food, Loki thanked him and asked him to just set the other plate of food on the little chair he had at the foot of his bed. The man went and sat down to eat without any argument, but he _did_ make a comment on the fish looking ‘weird’ to him.

“They’re called Well fish,” Loki said as he began to eat his own food. “Very easy to breed and one of the fattier species we have.”

“Well they look funny.”

Loki groaned. “Do you know how to say _anything_ that isn’t bone grindingly infuriating?” He scowled back at the man. “Is this the way all of your kind behave, or is it unique to _you_?”

The man frowned at him. “You don’t even know my name, but you sure are happy to insult me.”

“You. Are. _Asgardian_. I owe you nothing,” Loki exhaled loudly at him. “Tell me- of the Jotunns your people have kidnapped, tortured, or held prisoner- have you _ever_ learned _any_ of their names? Hmm?” He knew his voice had risen and he was shouting at him, but he just couldn’t stop himself. Here was this- this _filth_ demanding to be treated like royalty when his own kind had _never_ treated them with even a shred of the same kindness.

The man looked down, obviously out of shame, and didn’t say anything else for a long time. He ate in silence and didn’t look at Loki again until Loki came over to take his eating tray from him.

“I am going to take this back to the kitchens,” he told him, “There is an enchantment on the door, and you will not be able to leave if you try.” He didn’t bother waiting to see the man nod, he simply turned, opened the door, and walked away.

As he walked, he took deep, calming breaths. He needed a better hold of his emotions. This Aesir prisoner was bringing out the worst in him. He couldn’t lose control like that in front of his people. He needed to maintain control. He stopped to speak with a few of the palace workers, laughing as they made jokes about his new courtesan. The resounding statement from his people was that the man was the pinkest thing they had ever seen.

“Yes, he certainly has a different complexion to us,” he agreed, smiling.

“Since he’s so short, do you think he’s a powerful mage?” One of the cooks asked as they brought food to another room.

Loki hummed. “It doesn’t appear to be the case,” he said, “I think their seidr must manifest differently on Asgard.”

“Probably a good thing,” they said, “We wouldn’t want anyone to think he’s a respectable figure.”

Loki didn’t comment on that, but simply nodded and made his way back to his rooms. He found the man standing by his desk, looking through the papers on it. He rolled his eyes at the sight. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to go through other people’s belongings?”

The man looked up at him. “This strategy isn’t going to work,” he said, pointing at the illustration from the earlier meeting.

“And why not?” Loki unclasped the furs from around his shoulders and set them along the chair by his bed. The man hadn’t answered as he did, which gave Loki pause. He turned and looked back at him, a brow raised curiously.

He was staring at him. The Aesir’s eyes were looking him over as he stood there. It was painfully obvious that he had been so distracted by Loki’s bare form, that he hadn’t even heard Loki’s question.

Slowly crossing his arms over his chest, Loki waited with a bit of a smirk. “Are you going to answer me, or are you just going to stand there and ogle?”

“Oh!” The man quickly turned his head, cheeks dusting the dark shade of red they had been before in the dungeons. “Right, um, this uh- this strategy won’t work because of Heimdall.”

“Heimdall…”

“He’s uh,” the man waved his hand in a circle, “He’s called the ‘Gatekeeper.’ He’s got magic eyes that let him see pretty much everything in the entire universe.”

Loki frowned. “Are you enjoying lying to me?”

“I’m not lying!” The man grabbed one of Loki’s charcoal bars and a blank sheet of parchment. “Here, here, look.” He began scribbling onto the paper furiously. Loki approached him, looking over his shoulder as he drew. “Here, this is our bifrost port.” He had drawn a round building that honestly looked like an elongated nipple upon a breast. “It’s at the end of our rainbow bridge. That’s how Odin always gets here, you’ve seen it.” He pointed his charcoal at Loki as he said that and paused again, eyes landing on the gold chains and bejeweled necklaces hanging from Loki’s neck and resting upon his chest. “That’s a lot of emerald,” he muttered, looking for a bit longer before going back to his drawing.

Loki _had_ seen this rainbow that Odin used to transport himself and his armies onto Jotunnheim. The pathway was a powerful burst of energy that often set Loki’s hair on end.

“Heimdall is the one in charge of the bifrost,” the man said. “Because he can see exactly where it is everyone wants to go. He can point the machine in the right direction.” He looked up at Loki after drawing a man with a helmet that had horns like an ox. “Odin absolutely has him look at Jotunnheim every time he gets ready to come down and attack. He probably has him watching on a regular basis.” He tapped his charcoal against his paper a few times. “The best shot you’ve got is to find a way to keep things hidden from him.”

Loki stared at his drawings for a long, long time, just thinking about it. He sighed after coming to a decision. “I suppose I’d better start, then…” He walked around the Aesir, putting a new piece of parchment over top of the one he had gotten out. The man moved out of his way, standing up awkwardly.

As Loki began to flip through spell books and write things down, he paused long enough to motion with one hand and say to the Aesir, “You may sleep there for tonight.” ‘There’ being his main bed.

“Are… are you sure?” The man asked, looking back and forth between him and the bed.

“I doubt I will sleep much tonight,” Loki said, “What with this new information you gave me.”

After that the room fell quiet. Only the faint flip of pages and the scratch of Loki’s writing. Eventually Loki heard the soft pat noises of the Aesir’s footfall before the rustle of the bed. Seemingly immediately after that, he heard the Aesir begin to snore. He paused just a moment to listen to him before going back to his notes.

The Aesir talked in his sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People need to stay the EFF at home.  
> It was so busy at work today. Like.... SUMMER TIME levels of busy.  
> I am almost positive I'm gonna get sick.  
> There were SO MANY people in the fucking store today.  
> One of my coworkers stayed home because he's older and at a high risk to get this coronavirus.  
> The shelves were EMPTY by the end of the day.  
> GO HOME.


	5. My name is Anthony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the day off- surprised I haven't been called in with how crazy busy it was yesterday...
> 
> Have some cute shit. :)

Loki hadn’t realized he had dozed off until a knock on his door startled him awake. He half heard the surprised yelp of the Aesir from off behind him. Groaning a little bit and stretching his arms, he called, “Enter.”

The Jotunn who opened the door, a younger girl who worked with some of the library staff, huffed a laugh at the sight of him. “Fell asleep at your desk again, sire?”

Loki smiled at her. “No, no, just resting my eyes,” he lied, smiling more when she laughed at him again.

“Would you like me to bring you breakfast?”

He hummed for a moment before answering, “No, that’s all right, I think I could use the walk. Thank you.” She bowed her head a little at him and backed out the door, closing it gently behind her.

Loki stood up, stretching and twisting himself to pop his stiff joints and wake his tired muscles. “You _did_ fall asleep at your desk,” the Aesir grumbled from the bed. Loki lifted his arms above his head, holding one wrist and pulling to loosen his shoulders. The man hopped out of Loki’s bed, still grumbling.

“You talk in your sleep,” Loki commented, “Did you know?”

He saw the Aesir freeze for a second before he sighed and let his shoulders droop. “Yeah,” he said, “I know. I’ve had people tell me.”

“Who is Rhodey?”

The Aesir tensed right back up and refused to look at him. Clearly he had hit a nerve. The man stood there for a moment before he asked in a very quiet voice, “Do you have a bathroom anywhere?”

Loki motioned his head, even though the man couldn’t see, and said, “First door there on the right.” He watched the man scurry off to the room, heard him mutter a quiet ‘thank you’ and then the door clicked shut. Whoever this Rhodey was, the Aesir did not want to talk about it.

While the man was in the other room, Loki took his leave and went to get something to eat. Breakfast was mostly the root vegetables they grew in the cave gardens. Not the most flavorful, but it was certainly better than going hungry. When he brought back two plates of food, the Aesir still hadn’t emerged from the washing room. So Loki sat back at his desk and ate. He had put together several runes to test out should this ‘Heimdall’ person be watching them. He could carve objects and strategically place them around Jotunnheim. He did not have any other magic wielders on Jotunnheim to test against, so he had to hope that whatever he tried would work.

Perhaps he would try multiple combinations and see if any worked the next time Odin decided to attack. He was certain the old bastard would. He hated his people so greatly, Loki knew it was only a matter of time before he saw the old one-eyed crone again.

Loki glanced up when he heard the Aesir exit the room. “I can’t believe you guys have running water here,” the man said, looking surprised but happy. “I would have expected it would be completely frozen.”

“Ancient enchantments and galdr,” Loki said to him, “The mages of old would hand carve protective and warming runes into each and every segment of pipe.” He pointed to the plate he had brought. “Eat. You will be going with me as I tend to my duties.”

“Do you guys even need the water?” the man asked, going to sit with the plate in his lap. “You haven’t bathed, but you don’t look like you need it.”

“The baths originally had been intended for our Elvish allies,” Loki said, bitterness evident in his tone. “But since your _Allfather_ turned them against us, they often go unused except for medical reasons or personal preference.”

“Oh…”

“Eat,” Loki ordered again. “We will not be back here until later tonight and I will not tolerate you complaining because you are hungry.”

“Am I not supposed to talk again today?” The man sounded annoyed, but Loki wasn’t looking at him anymore. He was eating his own food and drawing runes onto his paper in varying patterns.

“Mm, you may be allowed to speak with the children,” Loki answered absently, “But if you step out of line, I will not hesitate to gag you again.”

“We’re going to see kids?”

“If you have not eaten by the time I am done, you will have to spend the entire day with nothing.” Loki rolled up his parchment and continued absently popping his food into his mouth.

He heard the man mumbling comments under his breath as he ate. Occasionally making them loud enough that Loki could hear.

“Texture’s like potatoes, but it tastes like a carrot…”

“Seasoning on this is kinda weird, but whatever… Better than…”

“Whatever this purple thing is, it’s real good.”

Loki glanced back at him. “Are you only ever silent when you are sleeping?”

The man looked up. “I talk in my sleep, you tell me.”

Loki actually found himself chuckling at that comment. Having finished his own food, he excused himself to the washing room and relieved himself. He tied a few braids into his hair before leaving the room and then went back out and gathered up his furs. As he set them into place over his shoulders, Loki heard the Aesir mumbling again. Once the clasp was secure, he turned back to look at the man.

Once the chain from before was hooked to the man’s collar, Loki picked up their plates and handed them to the man. He didn’t need to say anything, the man followed behind him quietly and handed the plates to the workers once they reached the kitchens. It was painfully obvious how wary they were of the Asgardian. Alfi took the plates from him by the very furthest edge from his fingers. He had seen the Aesir once already, but still did not trust or like him.

Loki saw no reason to blame any of them.

He took the Aesir with him to the throne and had him sit upon a pelt by his feet. The pelt he had called there from his chambers, and it took the man a second before he realized he had used his magic to put it there. He knelt down, mumbling a very quiet ‘thanks’ and settled his hands on his knees.

“All right,” Loki turned to the guard standing at the ready, “Bring the first forward.” With a nod, they stepped off and motioned someone forward.

An older giantess approached where he sat on the throne. She had to look down at him, even with her back hunched with age. “My king,” she greeted with a bit of a bow.

“Kali,” Loki greeted, “What need have you?”

She sighed and pulled a cane from its attached loop behind her back. “My apologies, sire. The enchantment you placed upon this old cane isn’t holding up anymore,” she said, “My old back begins to ache worse with each step.”

“Give it here,” he said, holding out a hand. Kali approached and carefully placed it into his palm. He smiled a little and let his seidr flow over the crystalline thing. A few muttered words and incantations, a quick swipe of his own blood over the cane, and a soft glow from his hands, and he passed it back to her. “Tell me how that feels.”

The old woman tested the cane a few steps around before turning to smile at him. “Much better, sire,” she said, “I think this should last me several long years. Thank you for your kindness.”

Loki inclined his head toward her and watched with a sad smile as she hobbled back away from the open throne. He waved his hand and the guard sent another Jotunn up to speak with him.

It went on like this for five hours. People with ailments in need of Loki’s gift. Jotunns in need of a blessed object came to ask him. Workers and farmers came to him with suggestions and requests for their infrastructure. Any improvements he could not make at that moment, he had written down so that he could work on them later.

Once the last of his people had seen him, Loki allowed himself a moment to relax. He thanked and dismissed the guard, and then looked at the Aesir. He had been expecting the man to be asleep, in all honesty. Instead the man was looking up at him- expectant.

“That went rather well,” Loki stated, shifting back up, “No one made any comments or remarks on you and very few of them even spared you a look.”

The man frowned, but kept looking at him. “That’s a good thing?”

“We wouldn’t want the people to riot, now would we?” He smiled and pushed himself to his feet. “Better for them to be indifferent to you than to be offended or frightened. Come now, we need to visit the school.”

The children were screaming and shouting the second they saw the Aesir.

“What is that!?”

“It’s a monster!”

“He’s funny looking!”

“Is he sick?”

Loki laughed at all their shouted questions. “Settle down, settle down,” he hummed, moving his hands in a calming, shushing gesture. Once the young ones had all quieted, he said, “This is my Courtesan.” 

“What’s that mean?”

“Oh, I know that one! My gram says those are like pets!”

“No, they’re like husbands, dummy!”

Loki smiled. “He’s kind of like a pet,” Loki said, “But also kind of like a worker.”

“What does he do?”

“Well,” Loki said, deciding on what to tell them, “He mostly keeps me company and listens to what I have to say. It’s his job not to argue with me.”

“That sounds like an easy job!”

One of the little ones looked at the man. “Do you have a name?”

“I know! I know!” Another shouted, pointing at the man, “Monster! Your name is Monster!”

“No, it’s Asgard- they’re named Asgard, right?”

The scholars in charge of the kids that had tried to quiet them had given up by this point. There was no soothing their curiosity.

The man looked at Loki for guidance. Loki simply motioned his open hand toward the children with a smile. So, the man looked back at the kids. “I _do_ have a name,” he said. All the kids squealed and bounced as soon as he spoke. Just hearing him speak was exciting to them.

“What is it? What is it?”

“My name is Anthony,” he told them. “But everyone back home used to call me Tony.”

“That’s a silly name!”

“I like the name Monster better!”

“Why is your name Anthony?”

“It’s the name my mother and father chose,” he answered.

“Were your parents big scary monsters? My mum says everyone from Asgard is a monster!”

The man had been smiling up until that comment. His face fell and he looked at the ground. He looked at Loki for a moment, but Loki offered no help. He got a bit of satisfaction from his discomfort. Sighing, he eventually said, “Well… I never thought they were… I had thought we were normal… But…” He looked up at Loki again and Loki balked at the sadness in his eyes. “I’m starting to understand that we were anything _but_ normal.”

* * *

Loki’s tray of food had remained untouched since it had been brought before him. He was eating in his chambers, as he normally did these days, but hadn’t actually eaten yet. The Aesir had eaten ages ago and was already reading a book he had found when wandering around the room.

Loki just couldn’t stop thinking about their time with the children. It had turned into a bit of an anatomy lesson, comparing the Jotunn biology to the Aesir, but that wasn’t what plagued him. That first introduction… Loki had expected the Aesir would need to be gagged again. But he hadn’t. He had actually been kind to the children… He had spoken and said kind and gentle things and Loki couldn’t wrap his head around it. Ever since he had first met the Asgardian nothing that came out of his mouth had been anything but questions, insults, or snarky remarks.

Had it really just taken children to get the man to behave?

“I can hear you thinking from over here.”

Perhaps he spoke too soon.

Loki turned to look at the man. “Yes, well, when running an entire kingdom, you do quite a bit of thinking.”

He watched him set down the book. “Are you thinking about the woman’s request for more soil? Where are you planning on getting that? This planet is a giant ball of ice.”

With a sigh, Loki said, “We have soil deep under the layers of snow and ice. It just takes a bit of seidr to make it useable.”

“Do you guys just grow tubers?” The man asked.

“Mainly,” Loki answered. “Our herbs are mostly for medicines, but we do grow some greens as well.”

“You should make a greenhouse,” the Aesir suggested. “It’ll make a nice warm space for the plants to grow and it’ll stay humid if you insulate it right. We’ve got lots of them on Asgard for our tough to grow plants.”

“The heat may be good for the plants, but any Jotunn charged with caring for such a place will likely end up falling ill,” Loki argued.

“Oh… right…”

They were both quiet for a while and Loki took the chance to eat some of his dinner. It tasted like nothing to him. He was still trying to work on his runes. He had a staff member bring him several slabs of metal and rock so that he could carve them and imbue his energy into them. He had noticed the man’s eyes light up at the sight of the metal.

Speaking of which… “What are you doing?” Loki narrowed his eyes. The Aesir had picked up one of the metal slabs.

“This is silver,” the man muttered, sounding awed. “Pure silver, isn’t it? Wow, this piece is huge. This was from your mines?”

“ _Yes_.”

“Wow,” the man turned the piece over in his hands a few times. “I’d have to pay an arm and a leg for a piece like this back home. You guys just have pieces this big lying around?”

“We have to mine the ore…”

“Damn… It’s a good thing Odin doesn’t know about this,” he said, turning the piece again. “He’d be breaking down the doors to get at all this…”

“Lovely,” Loki groaned. “Would you please put that back down, now? I need it for my concealment runes.”

“You’re wasting this silver on _runes!?_ ” The man sounded horrified. “No! Build something with it!”

“We have plenty more,” Loki said, “And I need it to test if any materials work or do not work to keep my people hidden from your gatekeeper’s sight.”

The man eventually set down the metal with a loud, unhappy whine. “But it’s _silver!_ ”

“Would you like if I gave you some of your own to play with? Would that shut you up?”

“I _told you_ ,” he whined, “I made _weapons_. I _live_ for shit like that!” He flopped himself down onto the floor with a sad looking pout. Loki’s earlier confused admiration was long forgotten. Seeing the man act like a petulant child made him want to throttle something.

“Are all you Aesir like this?” Loki huffed. “Spoiled children up until the day you die…”

It fell quiet again for a while. After Loki finally began carving his runes, the man asked, “If you have any left when your done, could I at least look at it?”

Sighing in irritation, Loki replied, “If I’m feeling generous.”

“…Thanks…”

* * *

“So your name is Anthony,” Loki absently commented the next morning as he was getting ready. Lots to discuss at the war meeting today. He was braiding a large portion of his hair as he spoke. He had been at his desk all night again and his Asgardian had slept in his bed once more. Loki would be eating during the meeting with his officers, so he had only asked for his staff to bring a plate for the Aesir.

The man paused in whatever he had been doing behind Loki. He hesitated before saying, “Uh, yeah… Yeah, it is.”

“Hmm… I don’t much like ‘Tony’ though.”

“Tony’s my nickname…”

“Nick?” Loki frowned. “I thought your name was Anthony…”

“No, it’s--” he sighed, “My name _is_ Anthony. Nickname is just the word for shortening names… Do you guys not do that here?”

“Why would you shorten someone’s name? It was gifted to them by their parents. Are you insulting their choice?”

“No, no, that’s not it either! It’s just. A lot of times it’s done out of affection. Like a term of endearment.” He huffed. “My name is Anthony, but a lot of my friends called me Tony because it feels… cuter? I dunno, it’s more familiar, I guess.”

Loki shook his head. “I will never understand Asgard.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he knows his name~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	6. A Test

Anthony was following behind him to the meeting room, and he commented after the third person said hello to Loki, “Everyone is so familiar with you.”

“Yes?” Loki raised a brow at him over his shoulder. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No, I don’t know… It’s just… No one acts like this around Odin and Frigga back home. You have to be super proper around them. And there have been times I’ve seen people _laugh_ at you.” Anthony hurried after him, having paused for a second too long and nearly tripped.

Loki hummed. “Well, when your population is so incredibly small,” he sent the Aesir a look, “You form closer bonds with your people…” He heard the man sigh behind him and told him to be quiet while they were in the meeting. “The gag is only a flick of the wrist away.”

Going back into the room, as he and his courtesan sat down, Loki used a small bit of seidr to transport the metals, rocks, and woods he carved the runes onto directly into the room. They were set out on the table, samples in front of each of his noblemen. They each looked at them, but only for a moment.

The palace chefs came and brought food in for everyone, setting trays beside the rune samples. “Hello again, all,” Loki greeted.

“My King,” Firmir spoke, before even moving to touch her food, “I’ve heard that you brought your courtesan to the school yesterday.”

“I did.”

“With all due respect, sire, it makes me very uncomfortable to have him near our children. I ask if you would please not do so again.” Several of the others nodded and voiced their agreement with her.

Loki looked over their faces and nodded. “I see. Of course,” he said, “I understand your concern. I would not allow our children to come to harm, and I certainly do not wish to cause unneeded discomfort and fear.” He looked directly at Firmir as he said, “You have my word- I will not bring him there again.”

She let out a tense breath, her shoulders relaxing visibly. “Thank you, sire.”

“If that is our only concern, let us eat and begin our discussion.” No one said anything more, so Loki began to eat his food. “As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, there are many carved objects in front of you.” He paused for a moment in his eating to explain. “If we are to attempt this strategy of having hidden warriors and archers on the hilltops, I think it would be beneficial to give them the added boost of secrecy that concealment runes could provide.” He lifted up the sample closest to him and pointed to some of the runes. “I’ve combined different runes together in order to hide our people. Some are to make them invisible to see, some are to make the area so uninteresting that they won’t feel it is necessary to even bother looking there.” He folded his hands together over his sample. “If fewer of the Aesir soldiers even notice our archers, I think we may have a better shot at this.”

Loki noticed Anthony shifting by his feet, and he glanced at him to see that he was making a worried face up at him. He ignored it for now.

“Sire, the runes are not all the same,” Xartok commented, “Is there a reason for this?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Loki replied, looking back at his people. “These runes are, again unfortunately, experimental. We have no way of knowing which runes or which combination of runes will be most effective at hiding our people from Odin and his men.” He could see how uncomfortable that made the others and sighed. “I understand this is not ideal,” he said, “But we have no mages to test my runes against and our own sight may be different to that of the Aesir. What we may not notice, may be painfully obvious to their kind.”

“Test it on him!” Loki startled at the suggestion shouted by one of the men. He pointed at Anthony, sitting beside Loki.

Loki looked down at the Aesir for a second before looking back up. He hadn’t thought of that. “That’s a brilliant idea, actually.” He smiled. “We have our own personal Asgardian to test upon.” He looked back down at Anthony, and the man looked vaguely uncomfortable but wasn’t arguing.

“Very well,” he said, “Once our meeting is done, I will station our men in the locations we’ve already chosen and put the various runes around with them.” He tugged lightly at the chain around Anthony’s neck and said, “And my pet will accompany me in testing their effectiveness.” Everyone was happy with that. All smiles and words of agreement.

Loki gave his men three hours to station themselves at their posts. He had Anthony stay in his rooms while he set up all of his runes. He had made several extra and placed them in various areas around Jotunnheim in the hopes of throwing off Odin’s gatekeeper. He put quite a few around Utgard- several surrounding the school and houses of the elderly. He imbued his energy into them and once each piece was activated, made his way back to his rooms to retrieve Anthony.

The Aesir was sitting at Loki’s desk, drawing on a piece of parchment again. He looked up when Loki came in.

“Here,” Loki removed the furs from his shoulders and approached Anthony with them in hand. “You will need these.” He latched them around his courtesan’s own, smaller, shoulders.

Anthony was blinking up at him, very obviously surprised and confused. His cheeks had a light dusting of pink to them. “Wha- but. I thought…” Loki saw him reach to touch the collar around his neck.

“My enchantment will keep you warm enough, yes,” Loki said, pressing his hand against the furs, “But you are still not used to the harshness of our environment.” He smirked then. “From what I remember, my chief guard said when they found you- you were covered head to toe in furs and were still half frozen.”

“I- I thought I’d be okay…”

“Mm, yes, and how did that work out for you?” Loki was grinning down at him, now. “How many times had you been to Jotunnheim before your failed spy attempt?”

Anthony looked down, then. Cheeks bright red and eyes full of shame. “None… I’d never been here before…”

Loki tugged at his shoulder. “Come now.” He led the Asgardian out of the palace for the first time since his capture. As soon as they were out the doors and into the open air, he saw Anthony tugging the furs closer to his face. The wind was harsh today, and even with Loki’s collar around his neck he was sure to be feeling the chill. He would point to areas where he had placed runes as they walked, getting replies of either “Can’t see them” or “Runes didn’t work- I see them” from the man.

He had to physically stop and point out areas to Anthony where he had placed the runes to make the areas uninteresting. “Well,” he said, looking at the hilltop Loki pointed toward, “Your spell to make me not want to look there worked, but I can see the people standing up there once I do actually look.” Loki frowned at that. He himself couldn’t see the archers he had stationed there. Clearly there were slight differences between his own eyes and the Aesir’s. He would have to go and see what combinations and what materials each successful test had been on. “I still don’t know if these will work on Heimdall,” the man commented, looking up at the hilltop.

“We will just have to hope,” Loki sighed.

Anthony turned his head away from the hill and looked at Loki. “Odin won’t bring Thor the next time he comes.”

“I suspect not,” Loki agreed. “He did get a rather nasty injury the last time.”

His Aesir hummed. “It won’t last long,” he said. Loki cocked his head at the comment. “Thor has never enjoyed sitting at home when there’s a fight going on. I give you maybe one or two attacks tops before Thor’s back and angrier than ever.”

“Lovely.” He sighed and waved to his archers. This was the signal to take down their bows and set up. He didn’t want to force his men to stay posted up there for long periods of time, but he knew an attack was coming soon. Odin would probably be coming in the next few days, hoping to catch them off guard. He turned his attention back to Anthony, ready to dismiss him and take him back to the rooms while he got work done, and paused. The Aesir was staring at the chains resting against his chest again.

Chuffing, Loki asked, “You just like shiny objects, don’t you?”

“Wha?” The Aesir blinked up at him, face going pink. Or well, pink-er than it was with the chill of the wind biting at it. “Sorry- what?”

“Is it the gold or the jewels that interests you so much?” Loki asked, folding his arms across his chest, disturbing the chains he had just been looking at. “I would assume it’s the gold, since you had such a fit about the silver the other night.”

“Its- I’m not- I wasn’t- I don’t--”

Loki laughed at his stammering. “Come along, beast, I have duties to attend to and you cannot spend much longer out in this cold.”

* * *

Loki was taking note of the successful rune combinations and materials at his desk. He had cleared away all the unsuccessful attempts and stored them in the library for later use. Perhaps as a lesson for the magically inclined students. A ‘what not to do’ type thing.

“Hey, I got a question.”

Loki groaned at the interruption. “You _have_ a question?”

“Yeah.”

Loki groaned again. “ _What is it?_ ”

“Are you king because you’re so much shorter than everyone else?”

“No,” Loki answered, going back to his notes.

“Was Laufey short, too, then?” Anthony was fiddling with something. Loki could hear it clinking in his hands.

“No,” Loki answered again. “My father was a good seven heads taller than I.”

“So do you take after your mom, then?”

“No,” Now Loki was annoyed. “My mother was also much taller than I am currently.”

He heard the Aesir huff from behind him. “You’re not gonna tell me, are you?”

“Not likely.”

“Well, I’ll tell you- I’m short because both of my parents were short.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “I never would have guessed.”

He heard Anthony groan and then heard a loud ‘woompf’ sound as the Aesir collapsed on his bed. He smirked hearing it and went right back to his notes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :(  
> I've been feeling very sniffly the past few days.  
> I swear to my dog- if I get sick because of work, I'm gonna be pissed.  
> I tried so hard. I kept hand sanitizer with me. I disinfected everything I could.
> 
> If I get sick I will get better out of pure spite, I tell you.


	7. Families of the Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize now that this is an incredibly short chapter--- woops
> 
> will try to fix that next chap

He should have known this was how it would happen.

Loki had only _just_ gotten out of the washroom and begun reaching for his furs when he felt a tear in the planet’s energy. The awful feeling of a storm on the horizon. He had memorized it after the last few attacks.

Odin had returned.

He threw the furs back down, and made for the door.

“What’s going on!?” Anthony jumped up from Loki’s bed, “Where are you going?! What’s happening!?”

Loki was already throwing bursts of energy out to different areas of Utgard. Sending clones of himself to warn his people and give orders to any soldiers not already prepared for war.

“Loki!”

Hardly turning his head, Loki shouted at the Asgardian behind him, “ _Stay here_!” He continued throwing spells and warning across Jotunnheim. As fast as he could, he transported himself to the front lines. In a blink his rooms were gone and the frozen fields appeared.

His archers were already attacking Odin’s forces when he arrived. It was the only saving grace with this horrible surprise attack so early in the morning.

As Loki charged into the fray, his only hope was that the clones had done their jobs and the children were hidden somewhere safe.

* * *

After a battle like that, Loki wanted nothing more than to collapse somewhere in his rooms.

As a king- he could not.

The old bastard had retreated after Loki’s archers managed to down a fair chunk of his men. But not before he had taken his horrible spear and fired a burst of pure seidr upon the archer’s on the hilltop.

Loki had to notify the families of the dead.

He offered anything he could, especially to those with young ones, but knew he couldn’t offer what they would want most.

Funerals would have to be planned, ceremonies, and memorials would have to be held. Those who requested it could spend one last night with their late loved ones. He helped transport and clean their bodies. Best not to add any undue trauma onto an already traumatic night.

It was hours before he even got a chance to sit. And it was only to talk with one of his generals. They had managed to capture three Aesir warriors. One of them had slit his own throat and was on the verge of dying.

“Should we attempt to save him, sire?” His general asked as someone held cloth to the wound.

Sparing a short glance at the other two soldiers, Loki made a quick decision. “As much as it pains me to say- yes.” He stood from the throne, making hasty steps toward him. “I think perhaps we may get some information from them.” He was already using what little seidr he had left to heal the wound. Forcing his magic into the skin and the muscle and telling the body to put itself back together.

Once the man was healed, it took all of Loki’s remaining energy not to just collapse on the floor in front of his throne. “Take them to the dungeons.”

* * *

When Loki returned to his rooms, all he wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for a year. Instead, when he opened the door, Anthony jumped up from the bed and rushed over to him.

“What happened?” The Aesir asked, looking him over frantically. “Did Odin bring Thor? What happened?”

Loki pushed him out of the way with what little energy he had left. “Please,” he groaned, “I can’t talk about this right now… Let me rest.”

“But- but you just,” the Aesir tried to step in front of him and Loki slid him out of the way again. “You just got back! Last time you talked to me in the dungeons- what happened this time?” When Loki didn’t answer, he stepped in front of him again.

And Loki snapped.

Snarling, he _shoved_ the Aesir in front of him. Anthony tumbled to the floor. “Xartok is _dead_! There! Are you satisfied!?” He was shouting at the man cowering from the floor. If he had any seidr left to spare, the room would be positively swirling with it. “His daughter is going to have to grow up without him! Because of your perfect, precious, _golden_ _Allfather_!”

Anthony stared up at him and Loki could see the fear in his face. He scoffed at it. “Don’t look at me like that,” he spit, “You’re the one who asked.”

He collapsed onto his bed. He remained like that in the silence for a long while. He nearly fell asleep when he heard Anthony’s voice.

“I didn’t realize,” he said.

“It was a battle,” Loki grumbled, turning his head. “Death is rather expected.”

He felt the weight shift on the bed as Anthony sat. “Well,” he said, “Maybe if things work out you could get him to agree to an alliance or maybe--.”

“I don’t _want_ an alliance,” Loki huffed, waving one arm out. “Jotunnheim could be completely alone for the rest of my long life- I don’t c _are._ I just want him to stop…” He had to hold in a sob. “I just want him to stop killing everyone I know…”

"...Oh..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got called in to work early today.  
> It wasn't too crazy, but it wasn't like the store was empty either.
> 
> Can people just stay the hell home and stop buying paint??


	8. Named for the River

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so fucking tired.  
> It was busy in the paint department again.  
> But- hopefully they shut down paint soon. It's nonessential.... 
> 
> Here's a longer chapter since the last one was so short.
> 
> Loki and Tony do a little bit more bonding.

Loki was not sure how long he had slept, he only knew that it was not long enough.

The knock on his doors woke him and brought on a terrible headache he was sure would last the day. The tiny whisper of, “You are needed, sire” was like someone slamming rocks into the wall to his throbbing head.

“All right,” he said, “Give me a moment…”

“Of course, sir.”

He forced himself to the washroom, not really paying much attention to anything. He probably missed a large portion of hair when he braided it. It didn’t matter.

As he was gathering up his furs, Loki heard the Asgardian speak. “Hey… Can we talk?”

With a heavy sigh, he looked back at him. “No,” he replied, “I have funerals to attend to.” He hooked the furs around his shoulders and noticed the way Anthony was still staring at him. Sighing again, he said, “I will have someone send you some breakfast.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No,” Loki instantly put up his hand. “No,” he hissed through gritted teeth, “You don’t get to apologize. You don’t get to act like you knew any of them or cared.” Loki stopped him again when he opened his mouth. “I’ve seen how you and your kind look at us. You _fear_ us… Just… just stay here and someone will bring you food.”

As Loki pulled his door open, Anthony spoke one more time. “You’ve put a spell on the door… I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to…”

Huffing, Loki replied, “No. No, you can’t.” And he left.

* * *

Loki was present for each and every ceremony. Some of the families chose to bury their dead, others chose to have their remains burned. It didn’t matter- he had to be there.

He was cursing himself as Xartok’s funeral proceeded. He had been on the hilltop, probably bringing food and other supplies to the archers there. He wasn’t supposed to be one of the casualties.

When Xartok’s young daughter came over and took his hand in her little one, Loki felt tears rolling down his face.

“King Loki?”

Sniffling, he looked down and smiled at her. “Yes, Vimur?” He knew his smile was one of his weaker ones, but he tried to be strong for her.

“Daddy said he named me after the river…” She was watching as the funeral pyre was set up, eyes sad and empty. “Would you name something after him?”

“Of course, Vimur, of course,” Loki squeezed her hand. He watched as the fire began, nodding solemnly as Xartok’s wife came to stand on the other side of her child. “What do you think he’d want named after him?”

“Something with the stars,” Vimur said, “Daddy liked showing me the stars…”

He squeezed her hand again when she started to cry. Her mother stooped down and gathered her into her arms. With a deep breath, he began reciting a eulogy. The first of many for the day.

He would not be back to his rooms until late again.

Once the funeral for Xartok was over, Loki once again let his widow know that he would help her in any way he could. Anything in the palace was theirs to use as they needed.

“Thank you sire,” she said, “I think for now, we just need to be with family…”

“Of course.” He stepped out of her way and then made his way to the next.

Night had long risen by the time Loki was finished with everything. He didn’t get to his rooms until it was incredibly dark out. One of his chefs had followed behind him with food as he made his way there.

Anthony, of course, jumped up when he entered the room and was clearly about to say something until he saw the Jotunn with the food enter after him. He went quiet and watched as the trays of food were set out. Loki didn’t even look at it. He thanked his chef in a mumble and walked to his bed.

“Hey, wait, your food.”

“I’ll eat later,” he said, lying down on his side.

Anthony was still standing in the middle of the room. “You haven’t eaten in two days…”

“No?” Loki huffed. “Well, I suppose war will do that to you.” He weakly tugged a blanket onto himself, ready to sleep.

“Come on, you need to eat…” Loki groaned as Anthony held the tray of food in front of him.

“I am decidedly _not_ in the mood for this.” He scowled at the Asgardian.

“Look, I know firsthand what happens if you go too long without eating or sleeping, okay?” The man pushed the tray a little closer. “At least get some protein.”

“I had to watch children burying their parents,” Loki hissed. “I am not. Hungry.”

The Aesir sat on the floor in front of the bed with a huff. He set Loki’s tray beside him and began eating his own plate of food. If Loki had more energy, he would have knocked the food out of his hands.

“In Asgard,” he said between bites of food, “When someone dies, we put their bodies on a boat and burn the boats as they float to the edge of the water…” Loki only made a noise to acknowledge what he had said. “Our archers fire flaming arrows as the boats float away.” Loki made another noise. “What do you guys do?”

“Whatever the family wishes,” Loki answered, closing his eyes. He was too tired for this. “Burials, burnings, or putting their body out to sea…”

Anthony hummed. “That sounds nice…”

“Mm, as nice as death can be?” Loki opened one eye to look at him.

The Aesir shook his head. “No, I just… I mean giving people a choice in how they want to send them off.” He lifted his head to look up at Loki. “It’s a nice thing to do for your people…”

With a sigh, Loki sat up. “Hand me the food,” he said, reaching out with one hand and rubbing his eyes with the other.

“Finally hungry?”

“Mm, yes,” Loki said, taking the tray, “Watching the half eaten fish spinning around in your open mouth really brought back my appetite.” He saw Anthony frown at him and smirked a little bit.

“You always eat in your bedroom,” the Aesir commented after pouting for a moment. “Isn’t there, like… a dining hall?”

“There is,” Loki answered after swallowing a bite of fish. “Most of my workers use it when they’re eating their own meals.”

“It’s not just for the royal family?”

“I _am_ the royal family,” Loki said. “It seems a waste to reserve an entire dining hall for one person.”

Now Anthony frowned harder. “I thought Laufey had like, five kids… You’re an only child?”

“I am _now_ ,” Loki answered, face falling blank. “My brothers both died to an illness while I was studying on Vanaheim.” He saw the startled look on Anthony’s face as he said that and rolled his eyes. “Hadn’t you noticed all the Jotunns are either much older than I am or much younger? Most of the others born during my generation died during an unfortunately warm few years.”

“They died because it got warm for a few years?”

“We live on a planet of ice,” Loki huffed. “And our kind are often referred to as ‘Frost Giants’ – I don’t think it’s terribly hard to figure out that we do not do well in heat.”

“But then how were you able to study in Vanaheim? The environment there is more like Asgard than it is here!”

In response to his question, Loki raised a hand and let a ball of his green seidr flicker and float to life. He let it roll around over his fingers a few times before vanishing it with a flurry.

“Oh…” Anthony looked away, cheeks a little pink with his embarrassment. Loki watched him for a minute before going back to his meal. He didn’t realize just how empty his stomach had felt until he started eating. His plate was empty before he even thought.

Handing the tray back to his courtesan, Loki flopped back onto his side. He let his eyes fall closed again, still ready for sleep.

“What were your brothers’ names?”

“Hellblindi and Byleistr,” Loki answered after groaning. “Will you let me sleep now? Or is your curiosity not yet sated?”

“Sorry,” Anthony said. “I never had any siblings… Do you miss them?”

Loki didn’t answer at first. He simply laid there, sad. “Of course I do…”

* * *

Shockingly, Loki woke up all on his own. It was rather nice not being startled awake by someone knocking at his door. He sat up in his bed, stretching a little bit, and _flinched_ when he saw the Aesir sleeping beside him. It took him an embarrassing moment to realize that this was the first time he had really slept in his own bed in days and been aware when he woke up. He hadn’t told the man where else he could sleep- of course he would just do what he had been for the last week.

Running his hands over his own face, Loki groaned. Times like this made him wonder if getting information out of the Aesir was even worth it. He couldn’t remember the last time he had shared a bed with anyone.

He got up after looking down at his sleeping face. Not only did Anthony talk in his sleep- he drooled. Loki decided to go get breakfast. Somehow this managed to wake his guest. Anthony jolted up and twisted his head around. Loki paused to look back at him and snorted. His hair was completely flat on one side.

“I’ll be back,” he told the man.

He didn’t like that. Anthony was scrambling out of the bed, shouting, “Wait! Wait, I wanna go! Wait!” He tripped over the furs and landed on his face. Loki rolled his eyes, but waited by the door either way. As soon as he was on his feet, Anthony grabbed the chain and hooked it to his collar.

As he took hold of it, Loki quirked a brow at him. “Feeling a little stir crazy?”

“Yes.” The man was practically bouncing on his toes. “You left me in here for two days with nowhere to go.”

“Oh, my apologies,” Loki mocked, “Next time I’ll try to plan out my funerals with you in mind.” He finished off the statement with a mock bow and scowled at the Aesir.

“I would have gone with you,” Anthony said as they began to walk to the kitchens.

Loki scoffed loudly at him. “An Aesir attending the funerals of Jotunns killed by _other_ Aesir. Yes, I’m sure that would have gone over _splendidly._ ” He saw Anthony shrink down a little in embarrassment as he said that, but it didn’t last long. They walked past the dining hall and the Asgardian stopped dead. Loki nearly didn’t notice. He may have accidentally broken his neck if he hadn’t stopped when he did.

“Woah…” Anthony took a few steps forward to peer into the dining hall. Loki could see the look of awe on his face.

“Enjoying yourself?”

The man glanced back at Loki for a second before turning back again. “The architecture is beautiful… Is it all ice?”

“No, most of it is crystal and rock,” Loki answered, humoring him. “The ice is for the finer details.”

“The arches are incredible… They look like they just… formed there after thousands of years.” He was running his hand over a pillar by the entrance. He pulled his hand back. “Cold.”

“Come along,” Loki said, tugging at his chain, “The kitchens won’t be serving breakfast all day.”

The Jotunns they passed in the halls were decidedly less content to ignore Anthony today. Most of them either glared at the Aesir or tried to keep themselves as far across the hall from him as possible. The battle had brought back more angry feelings. As Loki was getting the trays and handing them to the man, Alfi tapped him on the shoulder.

“Sire, why don’t you get rid of him?” He scrutinized Anthony as he spoke, squinting and frowning at him. “Send him to the dungeons with the others?”

Loki sighed. “Alfi,” he started, “I understand your concern.”

“But you’re king and you made your decision, I know,” Alfi grumbled. “It’s just… he’s part of the problem!”

“Tensions are high right now, I know,” Loki said, resting a hand on Alfi’s shoulder, “But I think given time, we will all forget that he is not one of us.”

“No one could forget, sire, look at him! He’s _pink_!”

* * *

“Everyone hates me, don’t they?”

Loki hardly glanced up from the documents he was signing. They were strictly to keep a paper trail for the kingdom. These were currently for orders to prepare more soil to enlarge the private gardens of the home owning Jotunns. Still, he answered Anthony, "Yes, mm, well... They hate your _kind_ , more specifically, but they certainly do not _like_ you.”

The Asgardian sighed. Setting his papers down, Loki turned around fully. He looked at the man, currently half hanging off Loki’s bed, and asked, “Can you blame them? Truly.”

“No, I can’t,” he said, “That’s what makes it worse. Nothing I could say to anybody would make them feel better…” He exhaled in a loud ‘puff’ noise. “If I were back home I would make them something.”

“And what would you make?” Loki asked, only half curious.

“Well, I made my one friend a tiara once…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone Loki knows is dead.


	9. Issopsid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys... I was going to write more... but my grandma had another stroke and they're probably going to put her in hospice and we're not allowed to see her because of the virus, so um.... it might be a bit for me to write more...
> 
> I'll give an update whenever we find out how she's doing...
> 
> Sorry.

Loki had taken Anthony with him to the palace library. He hadn’t wanted to, but the Asgardian said they could discuss battle tactics and read up on old wars. Currently, Loki was reading through a book on armors that his people had worn throughout their history and Anthony was trying to read it over his shoulder while he talked.

“Okay, so Thor _didn’t_ go to this battle, but I guarantee you that he’ll come back. And we already have proof that your runes worked to hide stuff from Heimdall, but that might not help again because he might know now that stuff he can’t see is going to be dangerous, and we’ve gotta plan for--”

Loki interrupted him, flipping a page, “I placed dozens of the protective runes in completely empty places in the hopes of throwing him off. Go back to what you were blathering about Thor.”

Anthony huffed. “All right, well, if I know Thor- and I do,” he reached around Loki to flip the page in his book as he spoke. “He’s going to be super aggressive. This will be like a child having a tantrum.”

“Is that how you speak about your prince?” Loki asked, smirking. “You don’t sound terribly loyal.”

“Hey, I can call it when I see it,” the Aesir said, “Thor gets really pouty if he’s told he can’t fight. Sparring is like, his _absolute favorite_ pastime.”

Loki hummed, smiling as he watched Anthony’s spread arms moving from around his shoulder. “So I will need to better protect my people from his aggressions, then.”

“If you can, I would try to find a way to stop him from harnessing lightning,” Anthony said, finally scooting around to his side. “Maybe you can come up with a spell with your magic to keep all weather far, far away, but I’d have no clue where to begin with that.” He poked his finger at one of the illustrations of armor in Loki’s book. “As far as protection, I’d say make armor out of the least conductive metals you can. Maybe cover everything with leather or something.”

“We don’t have much leather here,” Loki said, flipping back to point out the fur head-pieces Jotunns of old wore to battle. “We have furs we gather from the beasts and our frost hounds and we can make leather with their pelts, but the furs are more useful.”

“The beasts?”

Loki summoned up an image with his seidr, letting it float in front of them. “Your kind simply call them Frost Beasts, I believe,” he pointed at the tusks on the beast, “There are different breeds that produce varying amounts of fur. Naturally, we’ve mainly bred the hairiest of them. The larger ones with tusks, like this, are more wild and would produce more leather.”

“What are they actually called?”

“Pardon?” Loki blinked at Anthony.

He pointed at the floating image. “You said Asgardians call them Frost Beasts. What are they really called?”

“Oh,” Loki frowned at him. “The main family are called Opsid… The smaller, furrier ones we breed are Issopsid.”

“Cool,” Anthony smiled and looked back at the creature. “The fluffy ones are kinda cute.” Loki found himself just staring at the Aesir after that. He was surprised by his interest. Anthony spoke again, though. “Have you ever used them in battle against us?”

“A few times,” Loki answered, still startled. “We do breed the large ones in case we need them in battle…”

“Maybe you could use a couple of those next time. You’ve just been using the hound things, right? It might help throw Odin off if you come at him with some of these guys.” He frowned for a moment and said, “Well, actually, that might only distract Thor… He likes fighting things twice his size because it makes him look like an even more impressive warrior.”

“Is distracting Thor not what we want to do?”

“Well, Odin might be keeping a closer eye on him this time… Last time you said you attacked Thor and singled him out, right?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, well, that’s Odin’s son,” Anthony said, “He doesn’t want to see that happen again. If he could keep Thor home he would. But Thor’s never listened when he gets hurt.”

Loki sighed. “Good to know…” He flipped several pages ahead in his book of armor and Anthony peered at one page with an interested squeak. He quirked a brow up at the noise. “Can I help you?”

“I’ve never seen armor designed like that,” he said, eyes wide and flicking over every inch of the page. “Man, I would love to make something like that. Maybe even improve upon it.”

Loki snorted. “Improve upon it? Oh yes, I’m sure that would be so difficult, seeing as it doesn’t even protect the stomach.” He huffed and handed him the book when it was obvious his excitement wasn’t wavering. While Anthony read and looked at the illustrations of past armor, Loki went and gathered up more spell books. He had studied quite a bit about weather related magic on Alfheim in his youth. He had plenty of his old notes in his personal chambers that he could re-read and hopefully those would help him. He knew he needed to protect his people from Thor. Aesir warriors were their own beast, but the crown prince was able to harness the elements. If his emotions got away from him, Loki worried the city would suffer severe damages and his people would be killed.

As Loki read through the tomes and scribbled down notes of his own, Anthony reached over and took a blank sheet for himself. Loki paused and looked at the man, but Anthony was already doodling on the paper. Rolling his eyes, Loki went back to his notes.

“Hey, are the furs you wear from the Issopsids?”

Loki looked back up at the question and smiled a little bit. “No,” he said, and smiled more when the Aesir lifted his head. “This is fur given to the Jotunns by the Elves. It was gifted to my grandmother’s great-grandmother by one of her dear friends. It’s the pelt of an Elk.”

Anthony looked at the furs for a minute, eyes flicking back and forth. “Must’ve been a pretty big Elk…”

“So I’m told,” Loki returned to his books. He was halfway through another sentence when Anthony spoke again.

“Was it really Odin’s fault that the Elves stopped talking to you guys?”

He glanced up at him, hand frozen in place where he had been writing. Sighing a little, he asked, “You believe me to be lying?”

“No, no, I just--”

“I’m sure Odin has removed that bit of history from all of your lessons and books,” Loki said, going back to writing with a scowl, “It makes it easier to look at me and my people as monsters if you think a race as _civilized_ as the Elves never disagreed with you.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it, I just--”

“You don’t have to make excuses and try to get on my good side,” Loki huffed. “I’m done trying to earn Asgard’s favor.” Anthony tried to speak again and Loki held up a hand. “Enough. I have work to do, and trying to placate you and your needs is not on my list.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t--”

“If you do not stop, I will place a silencing spell on you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see top for my notice
> 
> Again, I'm sorry. I'll try to write more soon, but we need to see what's going on...


	10. Breastplate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all!  
> My grandmother is okay - she is awake and eating. She had been unresponsive for about a day, but she's all right. Thank you all so so so much for all the kind words and kind thoughts for her. We were honestly really really worried.  
> She has Alzheimer's so she isn't really talking in complete sentences, but she is babbling, according to my grandfather. So she's still functioning.
> 
> Thank you all again.  
> One of you must have really good luck, because I sure as hell don't have good luck in anything.  
> Thank you.
> 
> :)

The dungeons were just as they always were. Loki made sure the crystal lights remained lit during most hours, but occasionally he would forget to replenish one and would find a section of cells in darkness.

As he stepped in front of one cell holding one of the Aesir warriors, Loki smirked. The man looked up at him, scowling and flinching, and quickly looked away. “When is Odin’s next attack coming?” Loki asked, watching the way the soldier’s shoulders rose and tensed at the sound of his voice. The man didn’t answer him and Loki rolled his eyes. “No? Hmm, very well. Perhaps you can answer me this- why did he send one of your people to spy on me?”

The Aesir’s eyes flicked up at him when he said that, but he still didn’t answer. Loki gave up on this one and moved to the next cell. This was the soldier that had tried to kill himself. Loki had his men put enchanted gloves over his hands so that he could not make another attempt. Judging by the red, irritated flesh around the edges of the gloves- he had been trying desperately to remove them. “Is it truly more honorable to end your own life, rather than be captured by your enemy?”

The man spat on the floor before he even looked at Loki. “I won’t tell you anything, you filthy _thing_.”

Loki smiled at his insult. “Cheerful,” he said, “But that wasn’t my question.” The man was scowling at him so furiously, Loki knew he would get nowhere with him. “Oh well,” he sighed.

The last cell’s light had gone out. Loki re-lit it and looked in at the Aesir warrior. The man was lying on the cot in the cell, looking up at him with very obvious fear in his eyes. “Perhaps you can tell me,” Loki said, resting an arm against the door, smiling and baring his teeth at the man, “Why did Odin send one of your civilians to come and spy on me?”

The man stammered as he answered. “He-he did-didn’t send anyone. Don’t-don’t try to-to l-lie to me. I-I-I’m not – I’m not going to tell you anything.”

Loki rolled his eyes once more. “Very well. I’m sure I will be back. Perhaps when I return, the three of you are more amicable in answering my questions.” As he left the dungeons, Loki told the guards to make sure the food for the prisoners was late that night. “Just to scare them,” he said, smirking. “Make them think for a moment that we’ve resorted to starving them for information.”

“Yes, sire.”

* * *

Loki was in his chambers once again when one of his blacksmiths knocked on the door and brought him a prototype for a new breastplate. Loki took it and thanked him, giving him extra payment for the hard work, and began examining it.

Naturally, Anthony was practically on top of him as he did so.

Huffing, he looked down at the Aesir peeking around his arm. “Do you mind?”

Anthony’s eyes flicked up to him for a second before going back to the breastplate. “Are you gonna try it on?” He asked, reaching a hand out to poke at the metal.

“If you would get out from under my arm, yes.”

He carefully put it on and hooked the strap around his back to tighten it into place. His smith had his measurements perfect, and so it fit him wonderfully, but something still felt off about it. Anthony was standing in front of him, looking him over, and chewing his lower lip in thought. “The weight distribution is off,” he said suddenly, making Loki blink and look at him.

“Pardon?”

“It doesn’t feel right, right?” Anthony was running a finger over the area covering his collarbones. “The weight distribution is off… That’s probably why they stopped using this breastplate in battle.” When Loki just looked at him, even more confused, he pointed again. “Look, right here, it’s too light up top, right? It feels like it should be weighing down more around your shoulders, but it’s not.” He tugged at the bottom of the plate, making a noise as it shifted down easily. “There’s too much ribbing in the plackart. It’s weighing the whole thing down. If this were to work, you’d probably need something like a gorget to balance out the weight problem. Plus, that’d help protect your neck and shoulders anyway…”

Loki was staring at the Aesir in surprise as he spoke. “I thought you made _weapons_ ,” he found himself saying to him again.

Anthony smiled at him then. “I told you, I dabble in other areas.” He tugged the breastplate back up. “Quality wise, it’s not a bad piece. The silver’s been worked beautifully and it looks like it’s molded perfectly to your body.”

“My smith has all of my measurements on record…”

“How do you guys work the metal? You said heat kills you guys.” Anthony was looking at the sides of the plate as he spoke, frowning and poking at things absently.

“We have protective spells and clothing in place in our forges,” Loki said, “Most of our metal is worked using enchanted tools, as well. We only melt the metal if we have no other choice…”

“Damn,” Anthony grinned. “I’d love to see those enchanted tools sometime. I’m so used to melting everything… Course, that kinda makes sense, the Elves do a bit of enchanted metalwork too. Do you think you guys taught each other?”

“Oh, you believe me now, do you?” Loki snickered at the look on Anthony’s face, “It’s ancient magic,” Loki answered, still surprised by Anthony’s words. “The galdr simply needs to be renewed every few decades after getting so much use… I think it was the Dwarves who first created it…”

Anthony sighed. “That makes sense. Those fuckers can work a piece of metal like nobody’s business.” He had turned away from Loki now, shoulders drooping. “I would _kill_ to get to study with them.”

“They only ever work with royalty anymore,” Loki said, beginning to remove the breastplate, “And even then it is rare. No one can afford their prices, and they have no desire for gold or currency. They can make their own easier than we can.”

Now the Asgardian was facing him again, beaming. “Have you met them?!” He was bouncing on his toes. “What did they ask for?”

“I’ve met Eitri twice, yes,” Loki answered, turning to set the armor down. Anthony was squeaking in excitement. “He is an impressive man, but he does not deal lightly.”

“Whaddid he ask for whaddid he ask for whaddid he ask for?”

Loki set the armor down, sighing a little at his enthusiasm. “You have quite a bit of energy, don’t you…? Eitri is a very picky king,” he said, “My father took me to see him when I was very young. He had brought gifts in hopes of bartering with him for information, but Eitri did not want any of them.”

“… What did he ask for?”

“He wanted to, mm, what’s the word…” Loki rolled his hand as he tried to find what he wanted to say. “Bottle. I suppose bottle works. He asked to bottle a small amount of my seidr.”

Anthony had been bouncing around still, but stopped as he said that. “Why did he want that?” He was pouting a bit, obviously confused.

“What else would he want?” Loki answered with another question. “He has no need of gold or jewels. He can make metals more valuable than anything else whenever he likes. But what he can’t make is the energy of different species.”

“He wanted your magic because you’re a Jotunn?”

“It had been several centuries since he had last gotten a sample of our seidr,” Loki started writing down notes on the breastplate as he spoke. “According to Eitri, the different energies create different properties and looks in the metal he works with.” Loki smiled and glanced back at Anthony then. “I’ve seen myself that he was correct through my studies on different realms. Seidr from Alfheim behaves very differently than my own.”

Anthony made a soft humming noise and sat down on the bench at the foot of Loki’s bed. “Wow… so… what did he ask for the second time?”

Loki shook his head. “He would not barter with me when I returned. It had been some centuries, but I had nothing he wanted, and as such he would not build what I asked of him.”

“That’s too bad,” the Aesir sighed. “What did you want him to build?”

“Do you honestly think I would tell you?”

“Why not? Maybe I could build it for you.” He grinned when Loki looked back at him and said, wiggling his fingers, “I _am_ pretty good with my hands, you know.”

Loki snorted loudly at the double entendre and chuckled as he continued his notes. “You are an absolute fool,” he told the Aesir, still snickering to himself. “Does that actually work for you on Asgard?”

“Hey!” Anthony puffed himself up, cheeks a deep red, “My flirting is great! It works all the time! I get lots of ladies!”

“Mm, they must not be very bright then, if that’s what gets them.”

“Well how do _you guys_ flirt?”

Loki looked back at the Aesir for a moment. “We compliment each other on things we find attractive in our partners?”

Anthony spluttered and huffed for a second. “That sounds stupid.”

“Mm, and making some less than clever joke about ‘ _being good with your hands’_ is the most ingenious thing I’ve heard in all my years.”

“You’re mean!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so tired.
> 
> Been through the emotional ringer and getting worked to death at work.  
> The amount of people coming in and buying stupid paint...
> 
> The paint department made over 17 thousand dollars this last Saturday.  
> Seventeen thousand.   
> In one day.
> 
> Y'all need to stay home!


	11. The Prisoner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the very, VERY long delay in this, but I have been called in to work so many times in the last couple weeks that I can count my days off on one hand.
> 
> I've been using my free time to relax and play animal crossing, because holy crap is work stressing me out.
> 
> We're down two people right now and they're not hiring anyone new for us, even though paint is making record high sales right now.  
> So, we must suffer...
> 
> But, yeah.... Shorter chapter again, sorry. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things...

Returning to the meeting room, the air felt thick and heavy with Xartok’s absence. There was a solemn, sad aura hovering over everyone within. Loki grimaced as he looked over his noblemen.

“I’m sorry,” he began, “I know it’s not enough time to truly mourn those we’ve lost, but…”

“It’s all right, sire… We don’t disagree with your decision to keep this meeting in place.”

Loki nodded in silence for a moment. It took him far too long to find his voice again. But, he still spoke. He told the others of his new trials with armor for their soldiers. He explained his hope to place protective spells upon the metal. He asked for other thoughts and advice on ways to keep more of them alive when fighting against Odin’s men.

“I have pondered the idea of bringing the mature war Opsids into battle,” Loki said, “Though I am uncertain if they will let us saddle them or put plates upon them.”

“Their size would help, I’m sure,” one man said, huffing a little, “But they have a tendency to do whatever they like. We could end up killing more of our own people than Odin’s men in the process.”

“Perhaps we could try and teach them to associate the Aesir with pain?”

Loki sighed. “We will have to think on it. There are too many unknowns…”

Anthony remained quiet during the meeting, thankfully, and they were all able to talk without any issue. The infirmaries were full to bursting with wounded, and so after the meeting, Loki ordered the Aesir to wait in his rooms while he brought herbs and medicines to the injured.

His medics greeted him, a few came to his side and accepted what he brought, and continued their work. He went about and healed as many as he could with his seidr, he helped grind up powders for healing ointments and potions and he left books for his wounded warriors.

As Loki walked the halls of the palace, he paused at the sculpted bust of Laufey. What would his father have done during all of this, he wondered. Would he order an attack upon Asgard, even though they were outnumbered? Resting his hand against the bust for a moment, he sighed. “The crown weighs heavy, father…” He looked into the lifeless eyes of the sculpture. He knew Laufey would be proud of all he had accomplished. He knew as much. He just… there were times he wished he could hear him say that he was.

The dungeons were just as he had left them, and Loki stopped to talk with his guards. “Have they said anything?” He asked them, hopeful that the Aesir warriors had let vital information slip.

Sadly, that was not the case. “Haven’t made a sound, sire,” one guard said. “Hardly anything more than a sniffle.”

Loki wanted to groan. “Not even to each other?”

“No, sir.”

He turned at that and walked down the line to peer in at the warriors. The first man, once again, spat on the ground when he laid eyes on Loki. Loki ignored it once more. He could see the defiant one’s arms were even more red and raw than the last time. Must remember to have a healer come down and take a look at that. Couldn’t have the man dying of infection before Loki got any answers out of him…

The frightened one, shockingly, appeared to be asleep. Loki kicked the door to his cell, jolting the man awake. His head snapped in Loki’s direction and he too, spat upon the ground. Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Such drama. One can only expect so much from the Aesir fools.

Smirking, he leaned an arm against the wall above the doorway. “Enjoying your stay?” He grinned when the man scowled at him. “Much less frightened now, I see. Getting accustomed to your surroundings?”

“Your heart’s as cold as this miserable rock, you _monster_ ,” the man snarled at him.

“Really now, is that any way to talk to royalty? Goodness, I would’ve thought Odin taught you all better.” Loki barked out a laugh when the man hissed ‘don’t you talk about our king like that.’ “Don’t talk about him like what?” Loki asked, smiling. “I was talking about _you,_ my boy.”

Ignoring the man’s stammerings of ‘I’m not a boy,’ Loki turned and left the dungeons. He returned to his rooms and yanked his furs off as soon as he was able.

“You were gone a long time,” Anthony commented. It took Loki a moment to find where he was speaking from. Of course, lying upon Loki’s bed as if he owned it.

Loki scowled at him. “If you are going to use _my_ bed, the least you could do is remove your shoes.” He set his furs down on the bench. “You Aesir have no manners at all, do you?”

Thankfully, the Aesir was removing his shoes as he answered. “Nah, it’s mostly just me,” he said.

“Yes, I can see that.” Loki turned and sat at his desk with a heaving exhale. He got to work on drawing modifications for the breastplate and didn’t notice Anthony approaching him until the man was scribbling onto the page from over his shoulder. “I am three seconds away from cutting your fingers off.”

“Well, it just- it would work better if you had this piece up higher,” he said, pointing at what Loki had drawn. “I can see what you’re going for, but what you’ve got there is only good in theory.”

“Oh, well, then, _by all means_ , show me how to improve my work.” Loki handed off the paper, moving away from his desk with an irritated groan. He went and flipped through some more of his old notes, copying down more runes for possible enchantments. Halfway through reading one, he paused. Turning to look back at the Asgardian in the room, he asked, “Why do you not spit at my feet?”

“Huh?” Anthony looked up from what he was doing. “Sorry, what was that?”

Loki frowned at him. The other Aesir had shown him such obvious signs of disrespect, but as far as he could recall, the worst Anthony had done was mock his strategies the first time they spoke in the dungeons.

“Whaddid you say?” Anthony was still looking at him. “Hello?”

Loki waved his hand. “Nothing,” he said, turning back to his books, “Thinking aloud.” Resuming writing, he tried to put it out of his mind. It was difficult, however, when a knock sounded upon his door and one of his healers entered the room.

“Sire, one of the prisoners has killed himself.”

Loki shot up out of his seat. “ _What!?_ ” He hurried over to the Jotunn. “What do you mean? _What. Happened!_ ”

“We came to tend to his injured arms, as you told us, and he must have gotten hold of one of our knives. We did not see until it was too late.”

Loki cursed. Loudly. Slamming a fist onto the table, his seidr sent loose object in the room soaring into the walls to shatter. “Why was no one watching him!?” The healer began turning to leave the room, obviously to lead him, and he followed, slamming the door shut behind himself.

“We had moved to check on the other two, to ensure they were not also trying to remove their own arms,” they said, walking quickly, “And when we went back, to leave, we found him with his throat slashed.” There was no emotion in their voice as they spoke, but that did not surprise Loki. He knew if they could, his healers would be killing the prisoners themselves. There was deep resentment, and he did not fault them for it. He faulted them for being so careless with their knives.

Reaching the dungeons, sure enough, there lay the now dead warrior. The knife lying beside his still wrapped hand was one the medics used to cut gauze. It would have been the easiest weapon for him to reach. And being so terribly outnumbered, it was also the easiest way out.

Loki sighed unhappily at the sight.

“What shall we do with the body, sire?”

“Bury him at sea, feed him to the beasts, burn him,” Loki said, “Do whatever you like.”

“It’s a shame we can’t send his body back to Asgard as a message.” Loki glanced at the guard who said that, but did not answer.

“I’d prefer we burn him, actually,” Loki said after a moment of thought.

“Of course, sir.” The guards picked up the corpse and took it away. Loki cleaned the cell of the blood with a flick of his finger, still unhappy. One less Aesir to possibly get information out of.

“Thank you,” he told his medic, “I will be in my rooms if you have further need of me…”

When he got back to the room, Loki groaned at the sight of all of his destroyed possessions. Damn his temper. Using a bit of his energy, he began mending what he could and righting things back into their proper places. As he bent and stacked his books back where they were, he heard Anthony speak.

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“Tell you what?” Loki asked, looking over his shoulder briefly. He slid another book into place.

“About the prisoners… Were you ever going to tell me?”

Now Loki scoffed. “Why would I tell you?”

Anthony’s voice raised in pitch. “I might have known them!” Loki raised himself up and turned his head to look at the stomping man. “I might have known them and now one of them is _dead!_ ”

“Mm, yes. Well, that’s not really my fault now, is it?” He put the last books away. “I did everything in my power to keep him alive. He chose to die.”

“That’s not the point!” Anthony was shrieking at him now. Loki stared at him, hardly feeling anything more than annoyed by the yelling. “I could have _known_ him! He might have been one of my friends! And- and- and you have _two others_ down there! And you didn’t even tell me!”

“Was I supposed to?” Loki cocked his head to the side, still frowning flatly. “Would your king have told _me_ that he had some of my people imprisoned?”

He could see the Aesir’s eyes shimmering with unshed tears. He wanted to roll his eyes at the theatrics of it all. Anthony didn’t say anything more after that, he only picked up the papers he had on the desk and locked himself in Loki’s washroom.

Loki let him be in there the rest of the night.

Anthony’s dinner was still out in the morning. Untouched.

* * *

Loki gave the sketches of the new armor to his smiths and told them he may have more for them come tomorrow. He was still researching, after all. Anthony was out of the washroom when he returned, though the man scowled as soon as he saw him. Loki huffed.

“Will you stop pouting if I take you to see them?”

“Probably not.”

“You are insufferable.” Loki took his notes and began placing a spell on the test breastplate from before. He had triple checked each movement and each incantation for the spell, and did not worry as his seidr flowed into the metal.

A brief spark of bright light filled the room upon completion, and Loki only momentarily worried that he had blinded the Asgardian. A quick glance at Anthony, though, and he saw the man staring at him. The instant he noticed Loki looking back, he looked away with an angry frown.

The man was a child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pretty sure tony has a few reasons to be mad, lokes….


	12. Rhodey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those asking ""What took you so long to update?""  
> Here is my answer:::::: "I have ~~depression~~"

Anthony had been pouting all afternoon. Loki chose to ignore it. Why should he feel guilty? If Anthony had been paying attention, he would have heard Loki talking to his nobles about the prisoners. How was it his fault that the Aesir hadn’t been listening?

He snarled to himself. This Asgardian would be the death of him. As if the strain of ruling a dying kingdom wasn’t enough.

“You’re growling to yourself again.”

Loki looked back at the Aesir with a frown. Choosing not to respond, he removed his furs and his chains. “I’m going to have a soak. If anyone comes to the door, just direct them to my washroom,” he said, pulling off his vambraces and bracelets. He glanced up to make sure Anthony heard him. As per the usual whenever Loki removed his furs, the man was just… staring at him. He rolled his eyes. If it wasn’t one Aesir spitting at his feet, it was another staring at him as if he were some relic on display.

When he removed his skirts and belts from around his waist, Loki distinctly heard the sound of someone taking a very sharp, deep breath. Pausing, he looked back at Anthony again and, this time, found the man looking away. His entire face was scarlet. Loki raised a brow with a laugh. “Does my nudity bother you?” He asked with a toothy grin. “Surely you Aesir are accustomed to nakedness.”

“We-we are,” Anthony replied, “I jus-just wasn’t expecting you to- to, you know…”

“Did you think I meant something else when I said I was going to soak?”

“Can you please just go into the other room?” The man was covering his eyes with one hand, face still deep, deep red.

“Where do you Aesir typically see each other naked?” Loki asked, enjoying the other man’s discomfort. He even sat himself down, crossing his legs and leaning back with a smirk.

“The- the bathhouses, usually. And-and-and the-the bedroom, when we get… intimate…”

Loki sighed and got back up. “How dull. Well, either way, I will be in the bath. I need time to clear my head. I shouldn’t be longer than an hour or two…” He hoped that by the time he finished his soak, he would have some sort of plan to help deal with Odin. The armor and the hidden enchantments were all well and good, but he needed to get Odin to leave them alone. Even if he never got the casket of Ancient Winters back on Jotunnheim. Just getting the tyrant to leave them in peace would be nice.

He didn’t often indulge in the baths. There typically was no need.

As expected, he was interrupted only a short time after getting in the tub. “Uhh, sorry, but there’s a girl here for you,” Anthony said from the doorway after knocking twice.

Loki raised his head to look at them. The worker girl poked her head into the room and said, “Sire, the armor pieces you commissioned are finished. Should we leave them in your chambers?”

With a bit of a sigh, Loki said, “Take the pieces for the beasts to their stables, but leave the rest.”

“Yes sir.” And with that, she left and Loki lifted himself out of the bath. He had expected something would interrupt him. When he returned back to his main chamber, he wasn’t the least bit surprised to find the Asgardian picking pieces of the armor up and looking it over.

“Must you touch _everything_ in my palace?” Loki was running his fingers through his hair and beginning to braid it. Only about half of it was wet- he hadn’t even gotten a chance to dunk his head under the water.

The man blinked up at him and frowned before setting the armor back on the ground. With a little bit more force than strictly necessary. Loki rolled his eyes at his antics. “Still throwing a tantrum, I see.”

“Fuck off.” And the man went and sat himself down on the bench at the end of Loki’s bed.

Loki snarled at him then. “You are acting like a child,” he snapped. “Would you rather I throw you into the dungeons with your friends?” He had turned toward him, eyes glowing dangerously, as he spoke. “You seem to forget that you have _no power_ here. You are not a citizen of Jotunnheim. You are a prisoner of war. Even the collar around your neck is a privilege!” His voice rose in volume as he went on. His anger getting the better of him. “One I’m starting to think you don’t even deserve!”

He reached his hand forward and, using a flicker of seidr, snatched it off his false concubine’s neck. Anthony gasped loudly and his hands flew up to his throat as if he expected to be choked. Almost immediately his skin began to raise in little bumps and he shivered. Loki had never seen flesh behave like that, but he did not dwell on it. Anthony was stomping to his feet and shouting, “What the fuck!?” He leaned and reached and tried to grab the collar back, but Loki stopped him easily with a hand to the middle of his chest.

“No. Enough,” Loki spat. “I am stretched thin enough as it is. I do not have the time, nor the energy to deal with your fits.” He made sure to keep his seidr focused not on freezing the Asgardian, but on keeping the collar up and away from his reach. “Until you can learn _respect_ , you are to spend your days in the dungeon with the others.” He shifted his hand and grabbed Anthony by the arm. He dragged the man through the halls and down staircases, completely ignoring the way he struggled and clawed at his hand. He was sure that he was shouting and cursing at him as well, but Loki was completely deaf to the sound.

They passed by servants and workers, as well as a couple of nobles, on the way. The gossip would surely spread through the palace quickly after this.

Reaching the cells, Loki flung the door open and _threw_ Anthony inside. He slammed it shut with his magic and didn’t even spare the man a second glance before tossing a prisoner’s robe inside after him and storming back to his rooms.

* * *

Naturally, the next morning, Anthony was all anyone could ask about.

“What happened to make you throw him in the dungeons, sire?”

“Finally got sick of him, huh?”

“Was it because he was so funny looking?”

Loki chose not to answer further than, “He needed to be punished.”

The opsids did not like the armor that was put on them, but it did appear to fit well. It would just take some time to get them used to the feeling. They would be incredible additions to the battles ahead. Another element of surprise to use against Odin.

He was in the middle of his dinner when a guard knocked on his door and entered his room. “Sire, your consort has been asking for you.”

Loki scoffed. “How long?”

“Roughly the past hour, sir.”

Loki waved his hand dismissively. “Not long enough. He hasn’t learnt his lesson yet. Leave him there overnight.”

“Yes, sire.”

* * *

The silence in his room upon waking after falling asleep at his desk was familiar, and yet… unsettling. He hadn’t had Anthony for long, yet he had grown accustomed to his incessant chattering. And that unnerved him.

Perhaps he shouldn’t let the man come back.

He had completely wrecked Loki’s normal routine. Years of life on his own and now he missed having a companion after only a week or so of having one. Was he really that lonely?

Not even bothering to eat, Loki made his way down to the dungeons. He paused to look in the cells that housed the other prisoners and smirked a little when he saw them both asleep. They didn’t look comfortable, or warm, but they still slept. Not like they had much choice. Exhaustion always won out in the end. They could try to stay awake in the hopes of ‘staying alert’ but it was impossible.

Loki reached Anthony’s cell and noticed that he, too, was asleep. And he was… wearing the same outfit Loki had given him underneath the rag that the prisoners wore. Was he just cold? Loki snorted to himself. The Aesir had gotten spoiled. So used to being comfortably warm with the collar.

His laughter must have been louder than he thought, because at the sound he made, Anthony jolted and jumped into a sitting position almost immediately. He twisted his head left and right before his tired, confused eyes landed on him standing in the doorway.

“Loki!” He tried to shout, his voice cracked halfway through, and he started scrambling to his feet. “Loki! Loki!” He tripped over himself before pushing up and almost slamming into the door in his hurry. He grabbed at the bars with one hand and reached forward with the other. Obviously trying to touch Loki, but not managing to reach him.

Loki frowned at him and even took a step back. Looking him over, Loki noticed a dark, purple mark on the consort’s arm. He blinked a couple of times. “That mark on your arm… I did that, didn’t I…?”

Anthony glanced down at it, shifting a little to look at the injury. “Oh… Yeah. You did.” He looked back up into Loki’s face. “You didn’t even know you were doing it, did you?” Loki didn’t answer, but he clearly didn’t need to. “Ice was spreading from your hand and frosting my clothes. If I had the collar on, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed it…” Loki groaned. He hated that he had let his anger get the better of him. He needed better control of his emotions.

“I’m sorry.”

Loki blinked in surprise. “What reason have you to apologize?”

Anthony looked away, an almost bashful expression on his face. “For making you mad enough that the whole thing happened…”

Loki was quiet for a moment after that. He looked at Anthony for a while, thinking things over. When he did speak, he asked a question in a quiet, hushed voice. “Why were you so unhappy that I had not shown the other prisoners to you? Surely you would be more concerned for your own well-being… Why worry so much for three random soldiers?”

Anthony had been looking at him as he asked the question, but his gaze fell again after he finished. He looked hesitant to answer.

“You are not a soldier yourself,” Loki said, “You are an artisan.”

“No,” Anthony breathed. “No, I’m not… I just…” He took a deep, fortifying breath. “My closest friend is…”

Loki understood instantly. The name Anthony always muttered in his sleep. “Rhodey…?”

The man nodded. “I… I was scared that… that he was here… that he was hurt…”

“Is he?” Loki asked, leaning in closer. “Is he one of the others?”

Anthony was quiet. He raised his head and Loki saw tears shimmering in his eyes. After a long moment, he said, “No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry its taken me so long to work on any of my fics, but... yeah... ive been extremely depressed and anxious for the past five months... I've gotten so bad that I've been too scared to even call my therapist. I've always dealt with this problem, but it hasn't been this bad for me since my junior year of university...
> 
> I'm slowly getting better, but the pandemic has really hurt me, mentally.
> 
> Hopefully I can get back into updating my stories soon, but I really wouldn't hold your breath. I'll do my best, but I can't, and won't, make any promises.
> 
> Thanks for understanding.  
> Hope you all are well.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Coronavirus Quarantining, everyone!  
> (Not really. Please wash your hands.)


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